ARROW - 119. Chapter 119

Waking in the morning, I discovered how two could become six. The boys were in our bed. “Morning Dad.”

“When did you come into my bed?”

“Last night. We couldn’t sleep and Pop said to climb in.” I just looked at them, then I attacked. I started tickling and soon I found out I was just as ticklish as they were. “No Colin, you can’t join in. Boys, lets get Pop.” Colin jumped out off bed and fled to the bathroom.

“Dad, you aren’t mad at us?”

“No, why would I be mad at you? You’re my sons, I love you.” Then we had a group hug, Colin came out of the bathroom and he had to join us in another group hug. We laid there for a few minutes. “Who is hungry?”

The magic words, food. “You go and get dressed for the day and then we will go and have breakfast.” By the time I was dressed for the day, the boys were back.

Walking into the hotel dining room, the Grands and Marie were finished eating. The boys headed to them, Colin and I got them their breakfast. I had toast and coffee, Colin had a full breakfast.

Sitting together, I told them we would take a train to Barcelona. “Be sure to bring your luggage down. I would like to take the one o’clock train to Barcelona.”

I was hopping that we could miss lunch and have an early dinner in Barcelona. Didn’t work out. I asked the desk to check train times to Barcelona. The early train left at 9 am and the next train left at 2 pm. I took a taxi to the train station with the luggage, checked the luggage through to Barcelona. Returning to the hotel, I had our train tickets.

The boys were ready to go, so we walked up to the restaurant on the pretext of giving Carlos his train tickets to Barcelona. The real reason, the boys had to say goodbye to the lambs. That took longer than I thought, seems over the few days we were here, they managed to name all of the lambs.

Saying good bye, for the second time, we walked back to our hotel. I noticed that the boys were growing, even Tommy had started to grow. I couldn’t help to wonder what their future would be like. I knew that they would stick together then it dawned on me, they would be starting the 9th grade this fall. I was proud of our boys.

Arriving back at the hotel, we had to have something to drink. The walk back from Carlos’s place made them thirsty. Then sitting in the dining room of the hotel, our dad’s had a beer and our mom’s had a cup of tea. Marie, Colin and I had a glass of wine. The boys had a soda, “Dad, we really miss Uncle Jimmy’s sodas.”

I asked the waiter if he could serve the boys a glass of soda with a scoop of ice cream. He brought them a glass of Coca Cola and a dish of helado. It didn’t take them long to take a sip of the cola, add the ice cream, then the smiles.

I paid our hotel bill, arranged to have a taxi take the Grands and Marie to the train station, and the boys, Colin and I walked to the station.

Leaving Valencia on time, three hours later we were arriving Barcelona. Gathering our luggage, we took taxis to our hotel, El Palace Barcelona. I had booked rooms for our parents, a suite fir Marie and the boys and a room for Colin and I close to the boys. Once we got settled in our rooms, it was close to dinner time. Colin led the way as we went to the restaurant which served a paella with lobster. It was a family owned restaurant where we ate often when we were here on our honeymoon. The restaurant was owned by a family from the Basque area of Spain. Colin and I became aquatinted with their oldest son.

“Do you think Marko will remember us.”

“Its been 5 years I doubt it.”

“I guess we will see.”

Walking into the restaurant, I knew we would have a problem. There are eleven of us, and the restaurant was small. A young boy came to seat us. When I told him we were a family of eleven. He politely asked us to wait, then he left us. We waited about 10 minutes when the young man came back with an older version, Marko. We waited to see if he remembered us.

“Marko, I know it has been five years, but I hope you remembered us.” Pointing to me.

Marko looked like he was searching his memory, then started to laugh. “Paella with lobster.”

I thought, he didn’t remember our names but what we always ordered.

“It’ll be just a minute.”

We watched as he rearranged two small tables and then he brought out a large table from the back of the restaurant. The young man, who we first encountered, came and cleaned the large table, added chairs, and showed us to the tables. He left and Mom asked for a menu. I told her we don’t need a menu. I know she was confused. The young boy returned with glasses followed by several bottles of wine. I saw our dad’s smile.

He opened the bottles, poured a little for Colin to try. Colin nodded his agreement, then the young man poured wine into all of the glasses, including the boys. I saw the look on my mom’s face, she didn’t approve. I leaned over, “Mom, this is Europe.”

“So, it makes no difference, the boys are to young to be drinking wine”

If she only knew that children younger than my boys drank wine, especially at their family dinners.

I could smell the paella before I saw it. A small table was set-up and then the paella came. The young boy. Served the woman first and then the boys. He took the tray away, I think Colin was going to go and snitch some of the boys food. That was until he saw the young boy returning with another pan of paella. He served the men, Colin and I last. I watched Colin as he took his first bite, his smile said it all. For the next 14 days, we would eat at this restaurant, honeymoon all over again.

Dinner over, we had a cup of coffee while the boys finished eating what was left on the serving tray. Before they had a chance, “Yes, we will see if Marcel can make this at home.

The young boy brought us the check, I paid with my credit card adding a tip for the service. The young boy smiled when he saw what I added as a tip. Marko came out of the kitchen to say goodbye. Colin told him we would see him tomorrow evening.

I suggested to Colin, that tomorrow he gives them the time we will be there so they can get ready for us.

The boys pretended they were drunk as we walked back to our hotel. That gave my mom an excuse to state once again they are too young to be drinking wine.

Arriving at our hotel, Colin told the boys to put on their swimming trunks. “You coming?”

“Yes, but I’m not going swimming.” I told the Grands and Marie that we were going up to the hotel’s roof.

“Dad, is there a swimming pool on the roof?”

“Yes, that is why Pop asked you to get our swimming trunks on.” Smiles all around.

Taking the elevator to the roof, the boys were anxious, well so was Colin. I sat at a table where I could keep my eye on them, Our parents took a table at the pool’s edge, they were close enough to talk to the boys while the boys were in the pool. Marie and I sat at a table a little further back. The dads were drinking a beer, the rest of us had a glass of wine.

I watched the boys, Richie was a good swimmer, he was helping the other three. Colin was playing life guard.

The boys swam, actually splashed Colin a lot, for quite a long time. The weather was great and I was feeling a lot sorry I hadn’t joined them.

I went to drink my wine when I realized most of it was gone. The boys would come and get a sip . I think Colin put them up to it.

The bartender started to clean up, I told the boys to come out of the pool, it was getting late and they could swim tomorrow night.

Walking back to our rooms, the boys were happy but tired as well. Swimming and playing in the pool tired them out. Colin and I headed them to take a shower and dressed in their pj’s. Tucking them in bed, I smiled knowing the love I felt for all four them. “Want to bet they will be in our bed by morning?”

“No way would I take that bet.”

Colin had to take a shower, to rinse off the pool water, so he said. The fact that I was in the shower when he made that statement entering the shower, somehow seemed more like an excuse than a statement of truth. I didn’t mind sharing when he began to wash my back.

I fell into a deep sleep that evening. I was relaxed, surrounded by my family. I woke up, surrounded by my family, and realized the boys were in bed with us.