The Castaway Hotel - 9 - 29. Chapter 29 - Many Reasons To Celebrate

The first week back, after our vacation to Australia, we just took it easy and readjusted to our own time zone. That is everyone except poor Jake. He only had what was left of Saturday, as well as Sunday and Monday to recuperate before he had to return to work. He seemed to handle it quite well though and I was impressed.

Early in the second week, Nick left to go back to Oklahoma, so he could spend some time with his parents before returning to class. I wasn’t sure when we’d see him next, but we would keep in contact.

During this time, I also started urging the boys to start checking to see what items they would need for school and then make a list of those things, so we could pick them up. I asked them to check both their clothing and various supplies they would require, which included some small furnishings for the college boys. They would be leaving in less than a week and a half, so they didn’t have a lot of time to waste getting their act together.

There was also going to be a little vehicular switch that needed to be made. Since Dustin had graduated from college and wouldn’t be carrying the others back and forth this year, he didn’t need the big SUV. I was going to let Brandon use it instead, because Brandon had been part of that loop and was the next oldest driver in the group, even though he wasn’t technically my son. Dustin knew this was going to happen after he graduated, so he didn’t give me any problems about it.

In return, I was going to let Dustin use the Grand Am to get back and forth to work at a local HVAC company. He was going to be learning the ropes there and getting a chance to experience all aspects of the business. The current owner was planning to retire in a few years and had agreed to sell his business to Dustin at that time, if Dustin was interested. That’s why Dustin was going to work in the field first, so he could learn the nuts and bolts of the operation. Once he had that down, he’d move into the office and become involved with the business and financial end of things.

August was also important for another reason. Kevin was turning twenty-one on August 8th and I would be doing the same thing for him that I had done for the others who had reached that age. I was having my lawyer make arrangement to turn over his account, so he would have full control over the assets. I did sit down with Kevin first, to explain this to him.

“As part of your birthday present this year,” I began, “I am turning over control of the account I’d set up in your name. I think you already know that I’ve done the same thing for Frankie, Dustin, Danny and Pat, so now it’s your turn to receive the privilege. Since I saw how well you handled the scholarship issue with Jeff, I know I can trust your judgment and you won’t spend the money foolishly. So far, I have been using it to pay your college expenses and expect you’ll be continuing to do this, but the remainder of that money can be used for whatever you deem will benefit you in the long term.”

“Thanks for doing this, Dad, and for everything else you’ve done for each of us,” Kevin responded. “When I came here to live with you, my biggest worry was just to have a place to live. I hoped it would be a place where I wouldn’t have to hide being gay, but you gave me much more than that. You’ve always been there when I needed you, especially when things looked the worst, like when Dustin dumped me, Brent died or when I had testicular cancer. You also made sure I had the money I needed for college and enough left over to start life on my own. I’m not saying I’m going anywhere, but wherever I end up, I will always feel my home is here with you. Where I end up living will mostly depend on where I get a job after I graduate, but I’ll always look forward to coming back here to visit. I love you, Dad, and thank you so much for everything.”

I was deeply touched by his words and hugged him after he finished. I told him how much I loved him too and that I was very proud of how he has always conducted himself, even at the worst of times. We held his birthday party that weekend, so the whole family could celebrate with him, but I’m glad I had given him this particular gift in private.

The next week in August was fairly hectic for us, because the various groups of boys were finishing up their preparations to return to school. They were busy making runs to the local stores and the mall, so they could pick up new clothes, supplies and furnishings for their rooms and apartments, as well as any last minute additions they had made to their lists. Once each of them had everything he needed or wanted, the college boys began packing up and getting ready to take off for their campuses. The drivers also had to pick up the rental trailers and have them hooked up to their vehicle, so they could start loading everything inside.

That Saturday, I was busy helping the boys with this, when Kevin asked if I’d run down to the rental place with him, so he could get the trailer for the 4Runner. I thought his request a bit odd, since he should be able to do this on his own, but I concluded there might possibly be something else he wanted to discuss, so I agreed. On the way there, Kevin talked about the apartment he would be sharing with Vinnie and Trey, but the conversation didn’t produce any earth-shaking information. After we picked up the trailer, we drove back to the house and I was still confused as to why he had wanted me to go with him.

As we walked in the door, my mind was still preoccupied about his motives and I wondered if he had changed his mind about approaching me. For that reason, I nearly jumped out of my skin when a whole bunch of people jumped out from all directions and shouted, “Surprise!” Damn, I can’t believe I had fallen for this. Kevin had merely asked me out as a ruse, so the rest of them could set up for a surprise birthday party. Why hadn’t that thought entered my mind?

Suddenly, I was surround by the family, as each of them bid me a happy birthday and shared their good wishes.

“Well, Dad, you’ve finally reached the speed limit,” Robert teased when he reached me. He was playing on the fact that I was turning fifty-five this year.

“Yes, wiseass,” I retorted. “I’ve reached the speed limit, so now I’m just waiting for you to get rid of your training wheels.” I think that shut him up for a few seconds, but someone else distracted me.

“Papa, are you really that old,” Nicky asked, after someone explained Robert’s joke to him.

“I sure am, little man,” I responded. “I’ve lived through eleven presidents so far and hope to see a few more.”

“Wow, you mean you were alive when Washington and Lincoln were president?” he followed, which elicited a whole chorus of laughter.

“No, little man, I don’t go back quite that far,” I answered, “but I was born when Truman was President.”

“Who’s he?” Nicky asked, confused.

“You’ll learn about him someday, or at least I hope you do,” I told him and then we moved on to other things.

A little later I came to my new little princess, Kylie. “And this little darling will be turning one tomorrow, so we’ll have to give her our presents before she leaves,” I announced and all the boys chimed in their support for that idea, so we decided to make this a joint party. Unfortunately, because I didn’t know this was going to happen or that the rest of my children and grandchildren were going to be here, I wasn’t prepared. Now, I’ll have to run out and purchase her gifts and give them to her, before she returns home with her parents.

Since Kylie was just turning one, she didn’t appreciate what was going on. Since the rest of us did, we made a big fuss over her and she did enjoy all of the attention. Kylie even got to taste ice cream for the first time and it was really cute to see her facial reaction to the treat.

Much to my surprise and amazement, the party lasted several hours before some of the extended family started to leave. The first to go was Jesse’s mother, since she was tired from working so much, and the Spences left shortly thereafter. Arlene had started to become more cantankerous as the day wore on, so they felt it would be best if they didn’t wait for her to ruin the party. I felt bad that Little Ricky had to deal with this again, but he seemed to accept it as something that merely happened sooner or later. I think he was just glad it was later and not sooner, in this case.

I had a nice time and was very happy to be surrounded by my loved ones again. My children and grandchildren were staying overnight, so we quickly made room for everyone, which no one had problems with. It turned out to be a wonderful birthday for me, since everyone that could attend did.

On Sunday, not only did my biological children leave, because they had to work the next day, but the college boys took off too.

The same three vehicles took off again, each in a slightly different direction, but this time there was one new driver. For the first time, Brandon would be taking Dustin’s old route. He would be heading to Pittsburgh and taking those attending college to the west of our home, while Kevin drove those attending colleges in the Philadelphia area and other locations to the east. Danny was going to Penn State, so he took the group going to colleges in the central region of the state. I was happy that the college boys were spread out well enough that this arrangement was working out quite well and no vehicle was overcrowded.

I was quite sad once everyone left though. Oh, I knew they’d all be returning to visit from time to time, but it was never quite the same, unless they were here for a long period of time. Once they all left, there would only be Sammy, Little Ricky, Andrew and Jesse, along with Jake, to keep me company. Yes, Mark, Dustin and Cole were also living at home as well, but they had their jobs and their own friends, so they seemed to manage to keep fairly busy and weren’t around that often. It’s not that I blame them for not being around very much, but the house sure seems quiet after several years of mass hysteria.

The following week, Jake went for his one-year checkup. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but it’s been a whole year since he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. When he went to be tested this time, he was slightly less apprehensive than in the past, but he still wasn’t looking forward to the less than modest positions he’d have to assume to complete the exam. However, it was obviously worth it. When the results came back a week later, Jake was told nothing new had shown up and he was cleared for another six months.

At home, things were a little less hectic too. Since the gay-straight alliance wasn’t running the concession stand this fall, because they had done it the previous year, Sammy and Little Ricky didn’t have as much to do. All of these things added up to mean that the school year started off pretty quiet for us. The gay-straight alliance was going to sponsor a dance after one of the football games again, but that wasn’t until early October and we didn’t foresee any problems this time. This was due to the fact that nearly every dance that had been held at school, no matter which group sponsored the event, had also welcomed all couples to attend, regardless of sexual orientation. It was nice to see the district had made some progress concerning this issue.

Of course, I wasn’t involved in any of these activities this year, except as any parent might be, but I still kept track of what the boys were up to. Little Ricky and Sammy had also formed an attachment to each other and had grown nearly as close as Andrew and Jesse were. Since Graham was in college and out of the picture, so to speak, those two spent a great deal of time together. Both pairs also kept pretty much to themselves, so this left Jake and me a chance to do the same.

On Friday evening, after we came back from watching a football game, the boys began joking around and playing games until they went to bed. When they did, Andrew and Jesse decided to have some fun first, before they went to sleep. After they showered, they hopped in to bed and quickly began sucking each other off.

Jesse was doing an admirable job on Andrew and had him worked up into quite a fevered state, but this time when Andrew exploded, Jesse was surprised. Once he pulled away, he let Andrew know what had happened.

“Andrew, you shot some stiff in my mouth,” Jesse announced, beaming.

“No way!” Andrew protested. “I don’t even got any hairs down there yet.”

“Yes, you do. See,” Jesse corrected him, as both boys stared at Andrew’s crotch. Sure enough, there were less than a handful of very short black hairs sticking out of his pubis.

“Dang, when did that happen?” Andrew wondered aloud.

“You’ve had them for a while,” Jesse told him. “I think the first time I saw one was after Daddy’s birthday, but I thought you knew. That’s why I didn’t say nothin’,” Jesse added.

“It’s okay, Jesse. It’s just that I hadn’t noticed,” Andrew admitted. “I guess I just gave up and stopped looking, because I thought nothin’ was ever gonna happen.”

“But it did and your thing’s getting bigger too,” Jesse added, which caused Andrew to look down again.

“You’re right!” Andrew exclaimed. “It does look longer AND thicker.” Suddenly, Andrew was feeling better about himself. So good, in fact, that he came down to share the news with me.

“Dad, Dad,” he was shouting, as he descended the stairs. I thought something was wrong, so I came shooting out of my room to find out what the problem was.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Look,” Andrew stated, thrusting out his hips. The light was dim in the foyer, so I pulled him into my room. That’s when I noticed the hairs.

“Congratulations,” I told him. “See. I told you to be patient and it would happen.”

“Yeah, but it sure took long enough,” Andrew scowled. “And I think it’s bigger now too AND thicker.” I wasn’t sure, but I agreed with him anyways. I certainly didn’t want to spoil this moment for him.

“And Jesse said I shot some stuff,” Andrew continued.

“But you didn’t see it?” I followed.

“Um, no,” Andrew sort of stammered. “I guess Jesse swallowed it.” Jesse was standing red-faced off to the side, so I felt I had to let him know he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“That’s okay,” I replied, “you can see it some other time, but congratulations. I’m glad it has finally happened.”

“Yeah, even though it’s only a couple of weeks before I turn fifteen.”

“Well, you’re past the crisis point now, so just enjoy,” I urged. “This should make your sophomore year in high school more memorable now.”

“Yeah, my freshman year kind of sucked, because everyone made fun of me,” Andrew stated, “but this should end that now.”

I was glad this had finally happened for him. He had seemed to be doing better dealing with it since Jesse joined us, but it appears he hadn’t been telling me everything that was going on at school. It seems he had still been having trouble there, but now he should quickly catch up with the rest of his classmates. Within a couple of months, no one will be able to tell Andrew has just recently entered puberty.

Everything else was fairly normal for the next couple of weeks, as we neared the middle of September. This meant that Shelly’s due date was quickly approaching and Dion was becoming a gigantic mass of nerves. Since he was at college, he kept calling me at home daily to see if I’d heard anything yet. I assured him I’d call the minute I did and suggested it would be better for him concentrate on his studies and not fall behind. I knew this probably wouldn’t work and he’d remain distracted until after the baby was born and he got to see him, but it was worth a try.

Andrew’s fifteenth birthday was on a Monday this year, so I planned to have a small party for him on Sunday. Since most of his brothers were away at college, the number of attendees would be far below our normal quota, but Andrew was fine with it. Since he now really felt like a young teen, these types of things didn’t seem to bother him any longer.

Andrew and Jesse started their celebrating early and dragged Jake and I out for a pre-birthday bike ride on Saturday. I could tell Andrew was feeling more grown up, because the route he took us on was quite strenuous and exhausting. Jake and I did make it all the way to the end, but it was quite a workout. I guess we should have kept exercising after we got back from vacation, rather than taking a short hiatus from working out, and then maybe we wouldn’t be dragging now.

On Sunday, the local members of our extended family dropped by, including Jesse’s mother. She had gotten to know Andrew quite well too, since he was always with Jesse when he stopped in to see her. Therefore, Andrew made sure to invite her as well.

She basically knew everyone there, since she had been to some of our other gatherings, but after she saw Steve and I joking around, she came up to speak to me.

“You know, that first day we met I didn’t want to believe you and Steve were so close,” she confessed. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was a little skeptical of your explanation. I thought you just wanted your lawyer there to make sure nothing went wrong, but it’s nice to see you were being honest with me about your relationship. I had a feeling I could trust you back then, seeing how Jesse seemed to love being with you, so it’s nice to see I wasn’t mistaken.”

Since part of the reason I had asked Steve to go with me that day was to protect us legally, I couldn’t be upset she had reached that conclusion. However, I didn’t want to admit it to her now or it might jeopardize our relationship. I didn’t want Jesse to be put in the middle and then have to decide whom he felt closer to. Instead, I concluded it would be best if we left this issue alone and allowed her to enjoy her time with us.

Although the party was quite small, it went very well and Andrew got some nice gifts. I knew his brothers would give him their presents when they came home for Thanksgiving, since it’s what they always did. The boys always belatedly honored the birthdays they had missed the next time they came home, so no one ever felt left out or less important than anyone else.

Andrew and Jesse seemed to be having a great time at the party. They were busy making their rounds, to see to it that none of the guests felt neglected. After they spent some time with Jesse’s mother, she came over to speak with me again.

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Jesse,” she began. “I can’t remember the last time I saw him this happy and he sure seems to have made a very special friend in Andrew.”

“Yes, they are indeed as close as two peas in a pod,” I remarked, using a very old expression. “It’s been good for both of them since Jesse arrived, even though Andrew is four years older.”

“Is he really?” she countered, surprised. “I never knew that and guessed them to be about the same age.”

“Andrew’s oriental parentage has something to do with that,” I commented, “but he was also a little late entering puberty. Regardless of their true ages, the boys are still very close and Andrew was mostly responsible for Jesse’s speaking again and for his rapid development afterward.”

“I know, Jesse told me the same thing and I’m very grateful to Andrew for doing that,” she confessed. “I’m sorry I didn’t see what my ex-husband… well, I guess he wasn’t even that was he?” she commented, more to herself. “Well, anyway I feel terribly guilty about what John did to Jesse and how he set his development back and prevented him from progressing as well as he has here.”

“That’s all water over the dam, so I think it’s best you just put it behind you for now,” I suggested. “Jesse has and I don’t see anything positive coming out of you continuing to mentally whip yourself for what John did.”

“Thank you. That is very kind of you to say,” she replied. “I can see why Jesse loves you so deeply. You are truly a gentle and caring man. You are exactly what he needed.”

We did talk a bit longer, but I tried to steer her toward other topics, such as how Jesse was doing in school and how she wanted to handle the upcoming holidays. First, I told her how our family typically celebrated and she agreed to join us. She admitted that she had been certain at least some of our extended family wouldn’t accept her, considering how she had abandoned her son, but she didn’t feel that way any longer. She said she was very pleased as to how everyone had been treating her and was looking forward to joining us for the holidays.

Andrew’s party ended before dinnertime and then we went inside. The daylight hours were beginning to grow shorter now and soon winter would be upon us. It was a sad, but expected fact of life.

I was sitting at home late Tuesday afternoon, when the phone rang. Since I was the only one there at the time, I answered it.

“Mr. Currie, this is Shelly,” the voice on the other end responded. She sounded panicked. “My water just broke and I’m having contractions. Could you please come pick me up and take me to the hospital? I’m all alone here. My parents aren’t home.”

“Of course I can, Shelly,” I agreed. “How far apart are your contractions.”

“I haven’t been timing them, but they’re probably several minutes apart,” she answered.

“Then we’ve still got time, so don’t worry,” I stated, as calmly as I could. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, but in the meantime I want you to pack a few items to take with you – things you’ll need, if you haven’t done so already. Have you called your doctor?”

“No, I called you first,” she admitted. “I figured if you weren’t home or couldn’t take me, I’d have to call a taxi or ambulance next.”

“Okay, that’s fine, but call your doctor now and then pack what you’ll need. I’ll be there before you’re finished.”

Shelly thanked me before we hung up. I grabbed what I would need to take with me and then I hopped in the car and set off to pick her up.