Winning the Lottery - 25. Chapter 25 Overwhelmed

Life with Dane in those first few months pure joy (okay, I’ll admit there were a few frustrating moments...) It was certainly a whirlwind existence. Keeping track of, and keeping up with, school functions, play dates, doctors’ appointments and extracurricular functions was a monumental undertaking. Then there was Christmas....

In the weeks approaching Santa’s arrival, Dane was excited. By mid-December his ADHD was fairly symptomatic. He wasn’t sleeping well, his moods were capricious, and his attention span was near zero. I considered Ritalin, but, really, wasn’t the pre-Christmas period supposed to be exciting for kids? Poor little guy had never had a true ‘family’ Christmas before, and we were doing everything in our power to make sure this one would be perfect. If that meant summoning an extra reserve of patience on our part, well so be it. Yes, we fully planned to spoil him. He deserved a little spoiling.

We aimed for controlled excitement and managed, for the most part, to achieve that. It helped that his music group had two planned concerts, and that gave him something, besides the anticipation of Christmas day, to focus on. The first of the two was at Waikiki beach. The boys played their ukuleles and performed a brief hula. Instead of the traditional grass skirts, the boys wore long loincloth-type coverings and were considered ‘warriors’ which pleased them greatly. The troupe received a standing ovation with a lot of whistling and hooting from the parents.

The second concert—same program—was at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. It was attended by a larger audience—friends, relatives, shoppers and tourists—and the children received a second standing ovation. Mom and Dad and the Faroughis were there as were several of the Ka’ena and Applebaum relatives and school friends. As you can imagine, Derrick and I, and Kelly and Jordan, were puffed up with parental pride!

After the concert we remained at the Ala Moana Center for Christmas shopping. This was Dane’s main opportunity to buy gifts. He had a long list of friends and relatives to buy for. We set a per-gift limit, and part of what Dane enjoyed was finding gifts that fit his budget. He tended to choose jewellery for the girls and games or bright windsocks or kites for the boys. As each gift was purchased, we ticked it off the list. After an hour, with the shopping about half done, Derrick and I were dragging, but Dane was still raring to go. We talked him into taking a break, then dove in again.

At the end Derrick and I had to take turns disappearing so our gifts could be bought.

At the beginning of December, we all trooped up to Helemano Farms (up near the Dole Plantation) to pick out a live tree. Dane and Alfy, along with their leashed dogs, raced around looking for the perfect trees. Then, of course, we had to buy lights and tree ornaments to the boys’ exacting specifications.

Meanwhile, the gifts for Dane were piling up. Everyone in the family was sending something, and UPS and FEDEX seemed to arrive daily with yet another parcel.

Those pre-Christmas days were a time for Dane to learn a lesson about giving too. To keep it simple we worked with Dane to put together a large box of food that we delivered to the food bank. We left the choice of food items to Dane, and he chose wisely after we talked about the need for nutritious but tasty meals. He insisted on including a batch of homemade dog biscuits. “Daddy, dogs need food at Christmas too!” The volunteers at the food bank received the box very graciously from Dane thanking him profusely for his generosity. Dane in turn, was touched by their gratitude for his efforts. Derrick, with a wink, discretely handed the volunteer an envelope with a large check forestalling any thanks with a raised hand and light shake of his head. This was Dane’s moment, not ours.

Derrick flew the jet over to pick up Cass and Khala a few days before Christmas. Dane and I drove the airport to meet them when they arrived, and Khala’s parents were there as well. It was a great reunion, and Cass, because he’s just such a great guy, took special care to greet Dane and make a fuss over him. After Cass had remarked on how happy he was to have such a handsome little brother and how fast he was growing, he updated Dane on about Honey and the pups. What Dane didn’t know was that he was traveling back to Davis with Cass and Khala to spend a couple of days with them before school started again. That news could definitely wait until after Christmas. Dane was quite wound up enough, thank you very much.

Derrick and I were slowly realizing that Cass was no longer our little boy. He’d grown into a confident, independent man, but that didn’t stop us from missing him terribly. The thought of him being away on the mainland for another three plus years was disheartening. At the same time we realized that, as for all parents, there comes a time when you’ve got to let your children go, as difficult as that is.

I was mulling these depressing thoughts when Derrick came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He lightly nipped my earlobe and said, “A penny for your thoughts?”

“Just thinking about our children,” I replied. “I miss Cass and Khala, and one day Dane will grow up and leave home too....”

I felt Derrick’s chuckling breath against my ear. “Hey, you need something to take your mind off such troubling thoughts. How about this? When we get home I’m going to have my evil way with you. I’m going to fuck you until you forget everything but my big cock in your tight ass; until you’re screaming my name in ecstasy. How does that sound?”

“That, Mr. Deacon, sounds wonderful. You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Hey, what are you two conspiring about?” yelled Cass.

“None of your business, Grasshopper,” laughed Derrick.

Cass nudged Khala and whispered into her ear. She gave us a knowing smile.

We headed our separate ways. Cass and Khala were staying with her parents.

Later, after Dane was in bed, Derrick fulfilled his promise in very creative ways. And, yes, I did yell his name, many times, in the throes of passion.

Bright and early the next day Cass and Khala arrived to breakfast with us. Cass simply couldn’t have been a more perfect big brother. He praised Patsy to the skies, making Dane puff with pride. He complimented him on his dog training skills, his art skills—there were several crayon drawings of Honey and Patsy and Koa to display. Dane clung to Cass like a limpet. There was a very serious case of hero worship going on.

Christmas finally arrived, and not a minute too soon. It was almost impossible to get Dane to settle down to sleep on Christmas Eve, but he eventually dropped off around 11 pm. Of course he was up at first light the next morning checking out the presents under the tree. He showed remarkable constraint in not touching any of the gifts and not waking us up ‘too early,’ but he took up a vigil in our bedroom watching for any signs of awakening in Derrick and me. I knew he was there and feigned sleep. Finally, after what must have seemed like an eternity to Dane (in reality it was probably about 15 minutes) he came quietly to the bed and whispered to me, “Daddy, Santa came. You should come and see.”

I nudged Derrick awake and we trudged sleepily down the stairs to begin the gift exchange.

Dane was thrilled with all his gifts. He loved the books and toys and especially the Seattle Seahawks jersey his Deacon grandparents had given him.

The main thing was the unmitigated joy of the event. Dane loved every moment of it, and that is, after all, what Derrick and I were striving for.

Cass and Khala had to return to Davis two days after Christmas, and Dane was delighted that he’d been invited along for a couple of days to see Honey and the pups. It was very much to Cass and Khala’s credit that Dane expressed no anxiety whatsoever about leaving his Dads and dog behind.

Derrick and I sighed with relief when we had the house, temporarily, to ourselves again. Not that we didn’t love Dane with all our hearts, but having an active six year old seemed to occupy every waking minute of our lives. And he was a kid that needed to be watched constantly, as the roof escapade clearly demonstrated.

The first thing we did with our newfound freedom was head to the bedroom for two hours of lovemaking and napping. It was glorious, like a honeymoon all over again. As much as I know the human body, and the names of its various bits and pieces, Derrick’s body still fascinates and excites me. And there’s nothing in the world like snuggling in post-orgasmic bliss and drifting off to sleep with the man you love.

Finally sated, and having worked up an appetite, we headed downstairs for a snack and a glass of wine. We took our little repast out to the patio and settled into a chaise in our favorite position with me between Derrick’s outstretched legs, my back against his chest. Patsy flopped down beside the chaise looking a little disconsolate.

“I think she misses Dane,” I said.

“I do too, a little,” said Derrick.

“Me too,” I admitted. “Although it seems like we’ve been running non-stop since we got him. I can’t imagine keeping up this pace for the next God knows how many years.”

“Yeah, I agree. I don’t regret for one minute adopting Dane, but if we keep going at this pace, we’re going to exhaust ourselves.”

“What should we do? We’ve both cut back on work, but it still seems there aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things we need to do...”

“Oh, and speaking of work,” added Derrick, “The crew presented me with a business proposal to buy another plane.”

“Really? How do you feel about that?”

“Overwhelmed! I don’t want to disappoint the crew, but....”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I lamented. “The ‘to-do’ list in my iPhone seems never ending. One of these days I’m going to have to go to a medical conference on the mainland. I can’t neglect professional development if I want to keep my license....”

We sat for a few moments contemplating our plight.

“Maybe we need to hire a nanny,” suggested Derrick.

“Mmmm...somehow Dane doesn’t seem like a nanny sort of kid...” I mused.

“I know!” exclaimed Derrick. “What about a butler?”

I laughed. “Right, like the snobby guy on Downton Abbey. I don’t think so....”

“No, I’m serious!” said Derrick. “I read an article about it...I think it was in Forbes...anyway, Butlers nowadays work in all kinds of homes. They’re like business managers for your household. There are even schools where they teach men and women the skills.”

“Really? Well, let’s research it....”

A quick search on the internet turned up several schools, in several countries; all claiming to have the best credentials and turn out the best butlers. We liked the look of a school in Belgium, and I volunteered to phone them the next day and make a general inquiry.

We talked a little about the type of person we’d want and decided that a gay male would be preferable. Although it is definitely not politically correct to make such a specific request, we thought we could drop enough hints when we went through the recruiting process. The more we talked about hiring a butler, the more sense it seemed to make, and the more excited we got about the idea.

Early the next morning I telephoned the school in Belgium and, to my delight, was greeted very courteously by the school’s employment placement officer, Madame Poulain. After I explained that we were thinking of hiring a butler “to help us stay organized.” She quickly affirmed, “That’s what a butler would do,” then proceeded to ask me several questions that were designed to assess our suitability to hire a butler. Her questions were very cleverly designed to gather the information she needed. “Perhaps you can tell me about your household...” Which sent me into a long, rambling explanation of our property, and our family situation, and our security people—and how busy and overwhelmed we were—and why we thought a butler would be better for us than a nanny.”

“I see,” she said. “Well, of course we have several suitable candidates in our current class, but one of our trainees stands out, I think, as most suitable for your situation—that is if you’re willing to hire someone without direct experience....”

“No, that’s not important. We just want someone who’d fit into our...um...casual lifestyle. I mean, it’s not exactly Downton Abbey here....”

We agreed that she’d send the application paperwork to our lawyer at the Dea-Con office, and the process started.

I called the lawyer to give him a heads up. He called later to go over a couple of the questions with us. Then he had the Dea-Con security guys check out the school.

Meanwhile, Dane arrived back from his visit to Honey and pups full of excitement and details.

“I asked Cass if I could have a puppy and he said they were all ‘dopted out to good families. Just like me, right Daddy?”

“Yes, that’s right, Dane. And Daddy Derrick and I are so happy and grateful that you came to us, to be our forever son! We love you so much!” And I really meant that. He’d only been gone for three days, but we were glad to have him back. Rambunctious he may be, but after that first day of blissful quiet, we’d missed him terribly.

I’d just dropped Dane of at school the following Monday and was headed into work when Madame Poulain telephoned to tell me she was emailing the curriculum vitae of the candidate she’d mentioned. She qualified that by telling me that she’d emphasised our...casual...lifestyle, and he had responded most favorably. He was very interested in talking to us. She stated that, further, the gentleman was an American citizen from Virginia and held that state’s drivers license. She was emailing me his CV and photo forthwith.

In the meantime, the Dea-Con security people had sent the school a personal information disclosure form. Something the candidate would sign to give his or her permission to a background check.

I opened the candidates CV and took a quick read. Robert Small Gantry was obviously an African American. He looked a little stiff in his formal butler uniform of tuxedo and white gloves. His pose was ramrod straigt. But I thought he had a pleasant, open face. Unfortunately, he had very little work experience. His only employer had been McDonald’s, where he’d been employed for twelve years, mostly as a part-time shift manager. However, included in the work experience section was a notation that he served ten years as an unpaid, full-time caregiver to a disabled relative. His hobbies were cooking and gardening.

Derrick and I reviewed the CV after Dane went to bed and couldn’t make up our minds one way or the other.

“Maybe we should fly him over for an interview?” suggested Derrick.

“Meh,” I responded. “It’s an awful long way for him to travel given that we feel ambivalent about him....”

“Yeah... Hey, I have an idea! What about if we ask James to interview him for us? It’s only about an hour to fly to Brussels from Nice.”

James readily agreed to fly up to Brussels and interview Robert that week. Right after the interview, James called us, and we could hear the excitement in his voice. “You guys have got to hire this guy! He’s smart and funny, and an overall nice guy!” James lowered his voice, “And...I think he...uh...belongs to the same club as you guys....”

“You mean he’s gay?” I clarified.

“Well, I think so,” said James. “I’m not one hundred percent certain, but I just got that feeling....”

“So, you definitely think it’s worthwhile flying him over here for an interview?”

“Yes. Definitely!”

By this time we had the security report on Robert Small Gantry from the Dea-Con guys. They reported that he was a regular upstanding citizen (no brushes with the law, and no known drug or alcohol use). He had an excellent credit score. He’d been a somewhat average student and was well liked by his teachers. His co-workers at McDonald’s said he was hard working and pleasant. They confirmed that, with the help of an aunt, he had cared for his ailing mother, for nearly ten years, until she passed last year.

Robert arrived in Honolulu on Sunday morning, after a 23 hour journey from Brussels, looking fit and rested in a bespoke blue wool suit. He greeted us with a smile and firm handshake. In other words, he made an excellent first impression. Once we were settled into the car for the ride home, he seemed reserved, and maybe too polite and deferential—something I attributed to his recent training. We tried to put him at ease.

“How was your flight?” Derrick, who was driving, asked watching Robert in the rear view mirror.

“Very good, Sir. A pleasure. Thank you for providing such excellent transportation.” (We had, in fact, flown him first class.)

Derrick began to point out the sights as we picked up the H1 and skirted the back of Waikiki and Diamond Head. Robert didn’t say much except for the required “Uh-huh’s” and “Yes’s” to show that he was listening and interested. It was a lot to take in, and to be perfectly honest, the H1 doesn’t exactly show off Honolulu in its best light.

It didn’t take long to get to our house. Once we parked and entered our yard through the garage, Robert stopped in his tracks and took in the scene.

“Awesome!” he declared, smiling and dropping his ‘reserved’ facade. “This is just...beautiful!”

Derrick pointed to the right and said, “That’s our house.” Then he pointed left and said, “And that’s my mom and dad’s house. Not exactly Downton Abbey, but...”

“No...but it’s....awesome!” Robert repeated.

Since we were at the garage building we took him first to what would be his accommodation, if he came to work for us.

His face lit up when he saw the little apartment. “This would be mine? All mine?”

“All yours,” said Derrick.

“Oh man...oh man....”

We took him into the house for a quick look. “Nice, very nice,” he said. We suggested he change out of his suit for something more casual (we had told him to bring shorts and t-shirts and a bathing suit). In a few minutes he came out of my den wearing dark blue shorts, a golf shirt, and sandals. He’d obviously taken his cue from what Derrick and I were wearing (although we had on Aloha shirts). We poured glasses of ice tea and took them out to the pool deck.

I suppose what followed was an ‘interview,’ but it seemed more like a first date conversation. Everything Robert told us confirmed what we already knew, but we were impressed with his forthright, honest telling. He had been raised by a single mother, who’d suffered a debilitating stroke just after Robert finished high school. He had planned to take a degree in hospitality management, but his life was put on hold. He had, however, taken a part-time diploma course in that area. He said he enjoyed working with the public, and had enjoyed caring for his mother. After she passed, he wanted to leave his small home town and see some of the world. He did admit, that watching Downton Abbey was his inspiration to become a butler, albeit a more modern version. He wasn’t shy about asking us several good questions centering around what we expected from a butler, and how our household was run. Who did the housework, shopping, gardening, cooking? Did we entertain frequently? We tried to articulate why we wanted a butler as opposed to a nanny, but confirmed that Dane was our first and foremost priority.

Robert mulled over our answers. “I would wear many hats...” he observed.

“Yes,” said Derrick. “Is that a sort of job you’d like? Or would you prefer to be more of a Downton Abbey kind of butler?”

Robert laughed. “Honestly? I’m not qualified to be a butler in a large home. If I were hired into a home like that it would probably be as an under-under-under footman. No, the job you are describing would suit me perfectly. What do I have to do to get you gentlemen to hire me?”

“You’ll meet Dane in a few minutes,” replied Derrick. “Then this evening we’ll take you into Waikiki, get you checked into your hotel, and go for dinner. We’ll leave you to sightseeing after that—Waikiki is a great place to explore in the evening—then we can all sleep on this. We’ll let you know tomorrow, and you can let us know as well. How does that sound?”

Dane made his entrance at that point. We’d prearranged with Kelly to bring him home after we’d had about an hour with Robert. They arrived right on time, coming through the beach gate with Patsy giving her usual enthusiastic greeting. Kelly left after a quick introduction. Judging from Robert’s near drooling expression when he met Kelly, the question of whether Robert was gay or not was answered.

Dane sat on my knee and gave Patsy the ‘down and stay’ command, which she obeyed instantly. Dane knew that Robert was a potential new member to our family—not quite adopted, but someone who would essentially live with us. Obviously Dane was aware of this as he stared at Robert, assessing him. It was an awkward moment, but, by some sort of telepathic agreement, Derrick and I left the next move to either Dane or Robert.

Robert broke the silence. “That’s a fine looking dog you have there, Mr. Dane. She sure is well behaved. Did you train her?”

Dane, always enthusiastic on the subject of dogs, began to chatter about Patsy, Honey and her pups, and Alfy’s dog Koa. Robert listened attentively and encouraged Dane by asking several open ended questions. He conversed with Dane as he’d conversed with us, in a mature, attentive and not-the-least-bit condescending tone.

I thought to myself, This guy’s a keeper! I wondered if Derrick and Dane felt the same way....