The Castaway Hotel - 6 - 27. Chapter 27 - Pearls From The Oysters

I kicked March off by going to the banquet with Trey, to see him receive his award. Not all of us were able to go, however, since only a limited number of seats are reserved for each recipient. In this case, it turned out only three tickets were sent to each winner. For most families, this meant a ticket for each parent and one for the honoree, but in our case it meant we had to make a decision about who was going to attend with Trey.

When I asked for his opinion, Trey told me he wanted me to go with him, but he also wanted Dion there too, so he could share this special moment with him. He asked if I thought Jake would be upset about this, so I told him I’d speak with Jake about it later, but I doubted he’d be upset about what Trey wanted. Trey then stated he would do something special for Jake at another time, to make it up to him for not being able to go to the banquet too. He also wanted Jake to know he was still important and loved, but Dion and I would get the nod this time. I agreed with Trey that something special for Jake would be a nice touch and assured him Jake would probably appreciate that even more.

After we decided who would go, we also had to make our selection for the meal we wanted. The choices were unusually vague and our options were merely listed as beef, chicken or fish for the main course. Seeing I love fish, but seldom fix it at home, I selected that for my meal, but Trey and Dion both opted for the chicken. While making their choice, both boys expressed concern about the meal being prepared in a manner they might not care for, so I told them not to worry. If that happened, then we’d stop on the way home and let them get something more to their liking. This seemed to satisfy their apprehensions, so I sent our R.S.V.P. and meal selections back to the committee.

When the day of the banquet arrived, we left around 3:00 p.m., in plenty of time to get there early. Even though the banquet wasn’t scheduled to begin until 7:00, and it would take approximately two hours to drive there, this would still give us a cushion. Trey and Dion wanted to allow a little extra time, in case we had problems along the way. If not, they concluded we could find other things to do before the banquet started.

In looking over the brochure about the event, I figured we might be able to check out some of the artwork and read some of the other entries if we arrived early, but I also hoped we might even find an opportunity to speak with some of the other winners and their parents. Let’s face it, this was going to be a gathering of a very elite and impressive group of young people and I wanted to take advantage of being there, so I could learn what motivated the others to rise to this level of achievement.

Seeing we only made one very brief stop along the way, to stretch our legs and use the toilet, we reached our destination well ahead of schedule. After weighing our options, I thought it would be best if we went directly to the banquet hall, rather than doing anything else first.

When we arrived there, we discovered the award winning projects were displayed throughout the room. The artwork was hung in various high visibility locations and the winning writing entries were arranged neatly across a long table, for others to peruse. Trey and I read some of the poems and short stories, before reading the synopsis the committee had placed on the dramatic scripts, novels and other longer works. Once we finished going over everything, we took a quick walk around the hall and studied the various award-winning artwork.

I was extremely impressed by the high level of achievement exhibited, in both the written and visual mediums, and concluded the young people who submitted these projects were very gifted. They had utilized a variety of forms and techniques to express their creative side and I began to doubt many adults could have equaled or surpassed their efforts.

Now that we’d finished perusing everything, we looked for our table and eventually located our seats. It was at this point we made another discovery. The seating arrangements had been made according to the various submission categories. Therefore, we were located at a table with two others who had written dramatic scripts.

In an effort to get to know them, I started asking questions about their projects and soon discovered they took very different approaches. This might have been due to the fact that the category was far ranging and there were several subcategories the authors could gear their work toward. Trey had done a screenplay meant for a film, but the boy next to us wrote his script for television, while the girl to the other side of us wrote a play for the stage.

Before the meal was served, the three authors discussed many areas, but their main focus was on their reasons for selecting the media format they had used. I found the discussion quite interesting and enlightening, as they explained how difficult it was to select their wording so the readers would get the nuances of their intended meaning. That’s when I realized this was not something any of them had just slapped together. They had spent many hours writing, proofreading, editing and eventually rewriting, so their effort alone deserved an award.

Once the authors had finished their discussion, the parents added their two-cents on the topic. They were eager to inform us what they did to support their child’s effort. They had done various things, from offering suggestions and constructive criticism, to using motivational techniques to encourage their child to keep going when they became frustrated or suffered temporarily from writer’s block.

I think all of us could identify with nearly everything that was said, although I added very little to the conversation. I did get the impression that some of these parents were very pushy and had possibly forced their children to succeed, so I wondered if entering this contest was actually the child’s idea or the parents’.

When the banquet finally began, we listened to the opening remarks from the committee chairperson and then the meal was served. It was a very nice sit-down dinner and we soon discovered our concerns about the meal selections were completely unfounded. I was served broiled filet of sole, done in lemon and a small amount of butter, and the boys had a chicken breast, breaded and prepared with just a touch of seasoning. We were also given a small salad and there were rolls and several side dishes placed at each table. For dessert we were brought a crème de menthe parfait, which put a nice finishing touch on dinner.

Once the meal concluded, the keynote speaker was introduced and it turned out to be the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania. As he began his address, he commented on how proud the entire state and educational system was of the accomplishments of the students represented in the hall. He then wished them luck as they moved on to the regional competition and hinted that some of them might also receive recognition at the national level.

His speech wasn’t as long as any of us had anticipated, and when it was over, the plaques were handed out. Each individual received a nice ovation when he or she stepped up to accept the award and the presenter made a very detailed comment as to why the committee had chosen that particular piece, over the other entries. It was not only enjoyable, but also highly informative.

When the banquet ended, we said good-bye to those we sat with and exchanged farewells with others we had become acquainted with during our brief time there. Trey, Dion and I then made our way back to the car, where we took a few moments to admire Trey’s plaque. I told him, once again, how proud I was of him and that after meeting the other winners, his accomplishments seemed even more impressive. That was because he had done it entirely on his own, without anyone pushing him to achieve.

When we arrived home, everyone else wanted to see the plaque too. Once it had made it from one family member to the next, I asked Trey if he would prefer me to hang it in the family room or if he wanted to keep it in his own room. After thinking about it, he told me he thought it would be more appropriate if he hung it in his room, as it wasn’t as if we had a trophy wall where we hung everyone’s awards. I told him it was entirely up to him and I’d do whatever he wanted, but he stuck with his decision and took it upstairs.

On Monday, when I went back to work, I began shuffling through the stack of paperwork that had accumulated on my desk. As I made my way through the multitude of budget requests, personnel evaluations and various other items, I came across a paper listing the All-State Band and Choir selections. Normally, I would have just glanced through the list, to see how many of students selected I might know, but one name in particular jumped out at me. It was almost as if my eyes were drawn to it by some sort of magnetic force, but right there was the name Dion Currie, under the tenor section.

Reflexively, I did a double take, to make sure I hadn’t misread it, but it appeared as plain as life. Suddenly, I had another family member to be more than a little proud of. Obviously, his name had been entered and chosen before he was awarded the vocal scholarship and his music teacher agreed to also give him private voice lessons. This, in turn, made me wonder where his talent would take him, once he’d polished off the rough edges.

I also began to wonder if either boy would have reached this same level of recognition, had they not come to live with me. After thinking about it for a while, I concluded they probably would have, provided they were fortunate to have had teachers along the way who encouraged them to use and refine their talents. The potential would still have been there, no matter where they lived, but the only variable would have been whether or not anyone would have noticed and nurtured that ability. All they needed was encouragement and a little guidance to help them develop their incredible potential, so chances are they still would have blossomed in another environment.

About an hour later, I received a call from Dion’s music teacher, asking if I had seen the All-State selections. I later discovered she had just gone to her school mailbox and retrieved her copy of the same letter, thus alerting her about Dion’s selection for the first time as well. Although she had nominated him and sent samples of his singing, a statewide committee reviewed the nominations and made the final selections, so she had only limited input into this process.

When I told her I had, she expressed her excitement and said she’d be more than willing to look up Dion’s class schedule and let him know the good news personally, unless I wished to tell him later, at home. Since she had done the most to help him blossom and reach this point, I told her I would leave that privilege to her. I also knew Dion would enjoy it more, hearing the good news from her.

After thanking me several times for allowing her this privilege, she offered her congratulations. In response, I thanked her for all of her hard work with Dion and then she went off to find him. After we hung up, I sat back and thought about how my sons continually managed to amaze me. They have all given me so much to be proud of, yet they still continued to exceed my expectations.

By the time he got home, Dion was so excited that he was literally bouncing off the walls. He had already told all of his brothers about the honor, having informed many of them when he ran into them at school. He pounced on me before I even got in the door and enthusiastically informed me about his selection. Once he’d finished, I admitted I’d already seen the letter at my office and had also received a call from his music teacher. I also made it a point to let him know how proud I was of him. He beamed and then looked over his shoulder to see if anyone else was around, before he turned back to me and whispered.

“I guess Trey’s not the only one with talent in this family.” I just smiled at him and nodded, knowing this was extremely important to him, to prove he didn’t have to take a backseat to anyone, especially his lover.

Since I had never been involved with the All State process before, I contacted Dion’s music teacher, to find out what it would entail. She informed me that the students on the list would be required to meet with the group they were selected for, either band or choir, so they could practice for a special performance. She then gave me the date for this statewide concert and said she’d be happy to take him to the rehearsals. The two students selected from our district were also the two that had won the vocal scholarships, with her help, so she was already doing a great deal for them. After thanking her, she offered to provide me with a list of dates and times for these sessions, so we could mark them on our calendar.

On another front, Nick came up to me later and asked if I’d be willing to help him find a way to learn Portuguese. He said his Spanish teacher was only willing to give him a list of programs available that would do this, since she didn’t know Portuguese herself. Nick asked if I’d order one of them for him, since he was anxious to get a head start with the language, so he’d be ready to go to Brazil.

I told him that would be a wise move and I’d be willing to help him check the programs out, so we went to my room and searched the Internet. We looked up each of the programs his teacher had recommended and read the information provided. We finally narrowed our selection down to three choices, and then I looked for reviews about their success. After doing a considerable amount of reading, we settled on one particular program and I ordered it. It would be delivered to the house in a few days.

As soon as Nick and I had finished, a small group of others approached me. They had overheard our discussing his preparations to be an exchange student and felt it was time to get me working on something for them. They wanted me to contact Peter’s parents, to see if we could bring him from Australia to live with us as an exchange student.

This group consisted of Ricky, Cole and Sammy, and although none of them would characterize themselves as being gay, they were still interested in having me bring Peter over. Ricky had told them so much about Peter that they wanted to get to meet him too. They told me they thought they’d all get along and learn from each other, and they seemed to be both serious and adamant. That’s why I agreed that Ricky and I would contact Peter’s parents and discuss the situation with them. It would be their choice, not ours, as to whether they wanted their son to do this, so we’d have to abide by their decision.

Ricky and I waited until later that night to call them. With the time change, it would make it early afternoon there. I let Ricky speak first to set this up, since he knew them better. After he had spoken to them for a few minutes, he announced I had something to discuss with them too and handed me the phone. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, I got to the point of this call.

“Not only did I want to call and thank you for everything you did for Ricky,” I told them, “I also have a proposition for you. Ricky and some of my other sons have suggested that we should have Peter come here, as an exchange student. Although this wouldn’t be arranged by an organization and done through formal channels, we’d still like to give him this opportunity. I’m willing to pay all of his expenses, both travel and while he is here, and I will give you the option of allowing him to stay with us for six months to a year. It’s entirely your choice.”

“That’s a very generous offer, mate,” Peter’s father finally responded, after a short pause. “Would you allow us time to talk about this first, before we give you our answer?”

“Of course,” I told him. “I didn’t expect an immediate response. Talk this over as a family and then you may have Peter send us an email, so we can call you back and discuss this further. We’d like to do this for him, after all you did for Ricky.”

After assuring me they’d discuss this and get back to me, we ended our call. The boys were optimistic after I told them about the conversation and started making plans for Peter’s eventual visit. I warned them not to count their chickens before they hatched, but Ricky assured me Peter’s parents would let him do this. They had even mentioned it might be a good idea for Peter to experience something like this while Ricky was there, so he was certain they’d give him permission to do it now.

As it turned out, we had our answer within a week. Peter’s father called back and asked to speak with me, so he could let me know what they had decided.

“My wife and I have chatted this over with Peter,” he began, “and have agreed to allow him to do this. We feel it would be a valuable experience for him and he is anxious to see Ricky again.” His last statement made me wonder if he wanted to see Ricky again so he could pay him back for the skinny-dipping video Ricky hadn’t told him about until after he returned home.

During our discussion, Peter’s parents agreed to many things. They were willing to allow Peter to join us at the end of May, when the first term of Peter’s school year ended. I had asked them to allow Peter to come then, so we’d have time to show him some of the local sites and also be able to include him on our summer vacation plans. I had already told his parents what we were planning to do and I thought it would be great for Peter to see other areas of our great country as well. They had already cleared Peter’s absence during that time with the local school officials, so it would not be a problem.

They had also agreed to allow Peter to spend the entire year with us, so when he returned he’d just pick up where he left off, beginning the second term of his current academic year. Of course, he’d lose an entire year in the process, but they figured there was no rush to have him graduate and attend University, as they put it. They felt this would be a valuable experience and learning tool and more than make up for him being a year behind his current classmates.

Both of Peter’s parents thanked me several times, for giving their son this wonderful opportunity, and then they put Peter on the phone.

“Blimey, Mr. Currie,” he began, “you’re even more aces than Ricky said. I can’t believe you’re willing to do so much for me. You are an alright bloke and I want you to know I appreciate this.”

After telling him I understood and just wanted a chance to treat him as well as they’d treated Ricky, his demeanor changed.

“Does this mean you and your sons are all going to go bonkers on me and do things like Ricky did?” he wondered.

“If you mean are we going to pull pranks on you, the answer is no,” I informed him. “I wasn’t referring to those kinds of things, but rather repaying you for teaching him about Australia and showing him a good time. That’s what I’d like to do for you, while you’re here.”

“Oh, I’d love to see the States,” he confessed. “Ricky said he’d have me over some time, but I thought he was just blowing smoke.”

“I don’t think he was, but I’m certainly not,” I reiterated. “I’m looking forward to meeting you and showing you a good time. You might still have to worry about Ricky pulling his pranks on you, but not the rest of us.” He laughed.

“I can handle him, sir,” he assured me. “Ricky said he’d told you about the pictures I took of him and I still have them on my computer. I’ll bring it with me, and if he gets too bonkers, I’ll just show them around to his schoolmates there. That will teach him.” I roared.

“It certainly will,” I agreed, “so I’ll tell him to watch his step, because you’re bringing a secret weapon with you. I won’t tell him what it is, but I’ll make sure he thinks twice before he tries anything.”

Peter thanked me and we talked a little longer, before we ended our call. He sounded like a great kid and I was looking forward to meeting him.