We Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus
by: E Walk
(© 2009 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 38
Ramsey’s Family

As soon as Hank heard that Lionel was Ramsey’s brother, he left the room.  I had an inkling as to what was on his mind and why he had suddenly left.  He returned with Doctor Harrison and another doctor.  He motioned to Lionel, “I want this young man to have only the best attention, similar to what Danny has been receiving.  I will pay for whatever needs to be done to help him get better.”

Doctor Harrison pointed at the other doctor, “Mr. Rodgers, Doctor Moore is one of the most renowned specialists in terms of bone surgeons, in the area.  Lionel is already receiving the best attention possible.  His body just needs some time to recuperate from the impact.  He was sitting at the point where the oncoming vehicle hit the van the young man was riding in.”

Doctor Moore looked at us, I suggest that you all leave.  Lionel needs to sleep, and so, probably, does Danny.  You would be surprised at how powerful a medicine, sleep can be.  The body systems can take over when the mind isn’t agitated.”

Danny sat up, “Poppa and Grandpa, now that I have Lionel here with me, I don’t need someone here with me all the time.  We can take care of each other.  Right Lionel?”

Lionel nodded yes.

Ramsey started to argue, “You’re telling me that I should leave my brother and not bother him when I haven’t seen him for five years?”

Hank took Ramsey's arm, “Ramsey, the doctors will call us if they need us.  Let’s go eat so we can go watch Kevin and Jacob’s basketball game.”

Danny added, “You and David can come back and tell us what happened.”

We went to the house on the hill to see if Brent and Jeremy had  arrived.  They were there and we asked them if they wanted to go to the basketball game with us.  They agreed and we stopped at the diner, but our favorite waitress wasn’t there.  We had a sandwich and some soup and arrived at the gymnasium just as the game was getting ready to start.  Tim, Tad, Chris and Chase were already there and they waved for us to join them.

It was interesting to watch as Ramsey sat next to Tad.  David sat between Chris and Chase.  The guys played an excellent game and even Brent and Jeremy were impressed.  When the final buzzer sounded, David went running down the steps and jumped into Kevin’s arms, “You done good, Uncle Kevin.  Uncle Jacob, Danny says you don’t need to spend the night with him now that he has Lionel with him.”

The two guys said in unison, “Who is Lionel?”

David held Kevin’s face, “He’s Ramsey’s brother, and he was hit by a car.  We need to go tell Danny and Lionel about the basketball game.”

Kevin put David down, “Jake and I are going to take a shower.  We’ll meet everyone at the house on the hill, to find out what is happening.  Hi, Mr. Farway and Mr. Philips.  Good to see you again.”

Jacob interrupted, “I’ll take David and Ramsey to see their brothers and make sure that Danny doesn’t want me to spend the night.  The rest of you can stop and get us some pizzas and things to eat.  We’re starved.”

I started to laugh, “Now who’s acting more like the Cowboy than the Cowboy?”

Jacob turned to me and gave me the up yours sign, “Come on guys, I need to take a quick shower.”

Brent looked Jacob, “You mean that you’re going to take Ramsey and David into the locker-room with you?”

Jacob turned around, “Why not, they’ve seen most of us naked already.  They aren’t going to be attacked in the locker-room.  Come on, guys.”

Hank turned to Tim and Tad, “Do you guys have dates?”

Tim answered, “I do.  We’re going to a party.”

Tad shook his head no, “I didn’t make one for tonight.  I have one tomorrow night though.  Jacob and I are going to go on a double date, since we’re going to be dating sisters, if that’s okay with you.”

Hank frowned, “What do you mean if it’s okay with me?  Of course it’s okay.  Chris and Chase, how did you get here?”

Chris grinned, “Chase made me drive the truck.  He wants me to get my driver’s license as soon as possible, so he doesn't have to chauffeur me around all the time.  Besides, if Judge Baker is going to take us to buy cars tomorrow, I need to get as much practice in as possible.  What good is a car going to do me, if I can’t drive it?   Speaking of which, Mr. Farway, we were told ….”

I interrupted, “Chris, this is not the time nor the place to discuss that issue.  Wait until we get back to the house on the hill.  Tad, why don’t you ride with Hank and me.  You can be our pizza connoisseur.   We’ll see the rest of you at the house on the hill, shortly.”

Tad was sitting in the backseat and he talked the entire way to the pizza place.  He surprised me because this was the most that I had ever heard him talk. Not that the poor kid ever had much of a chance to talk with all that had been happening.  “Dad Hank and Dad Steve, Ramsey is really very intelligent.  When he explained my algebra to me last night,  it suddenly seemed easy.  Then when I was watching him as he was doing whatever he did to the video game, he made it look so easy.  What’s going to happen to him?  Is he going to be living with us?”

I was driving, so Hank answered, “Son Tad, we have no idea what’s going to happen, now that his brother has suddenly appeared.  I promise you, though, that we won’t let anything bad happen to either of them.”

We arrived at the pizza place and the young man who delivered the pizza to the house on the hill was working, “Wait a minute, I thought we had an agreement that I would deliver your orders.  How am I ever going to be able to go to college if you stop having me deliver?”

Tad obviously knew the young man, “Don’t be ridiculous, Freddie Freeloader, they won’t charge anything to teach you how to be a gorilla.  Tell you what we’re going to do.  We’ll order our food, and bust out of this place so we don’t die of asphyxiation.  Of course, we expect the food to be at the house on the hill before we get there.”

“Whatever you say, Tadpole.  What can I deliver for you?“

Tad ordered three pizzas and wings.   The young guy rang up the tab, “Will that be c.o.d. with a big tip or big tip paid in advance.”

Hank and I were laughing at the two guys.  Hank answered, “It will have to be c.o.d.  We need to go home and make the cash for the big tip.”

“I’ll be there in about twenty five minutes as soon as I get off work.”

As we were driving to the house, Tad explained, “Freddie is a friend of Tim’s.  He’s the Senior Class president in addition to being on the wrestling team as well as the starting first baseman on the baseball team.”

When we got to the house, Kevin was already there as were Chris, Chase, Brent and Jeremy.  Kevin greeted us as we walked in.  He was in the au natural, “We’re going to swim as soon as we get the area set for the food.  I hope you ordered lots of food.  I’m starved.”

Tad laughed, “Freddie is going to be bringing the food in about twenty minutes.  He’ll probably eat half of it on the way here.  Come on, I’ll help get the tables ready.”

After Kevin and Tad had gone to fix the pool area, Brent looked at Chris and Chase, “Guys, I understand that you found out in a very round about way that we wish to pay for your college education.  We had talked to Mr. Michaels and Mr. Rodgers about what we wanted to do.  I assumed, incorrectly, that they might have already told you.  Flo called me and told me she inadvertently spilled the beans, so to speak.  Believe me, guys, I only want to make sure that you have every opportunity to be able to enjoy a good life.”

“Chris has made it very clear that he is going to have a very difficult time ever accepting me as a father figure.  I can understand that, now that I know what he had to endure.  Please just accept our offer.  Perhaps someday, you will be able to respect me as well as your mother.”

I heard Jacob and the two boys arriving, “I suggest that you continue this conversation later.  The other guys are here.”

Ramsey came to us, “Poppa and Grandpa, could you please call Chris and Chase’s mother and see if she can find out what happened to my other bother and sister.  Their names are Louie and Ella.  They’re twins and would be six, like David?”

I hugged Ramsey, “Son, I’ll call her and ask her to see what she can find out.  Why don’t you guys go get ready for the swim party and you don’t need swim suits.  Mr. Rodgers and I will wait for the food.”

Everyone had gone to the swimming pool except Jacob and he seemed as if he wanted to talk.  When we were alone, he started, “Dads, I don’t know whether to be angry or happy, Danny practically threw us out tonight.  I can’t believe how much better he is, since this morning when I left.  It’s as if being the old kid on the block has given him some strength.  His instructions to us were that people should pop in and check on the two guys and pop out.”

He started to laugh, “David asked Lionel if he was as mean as his brother and Lionel shook his head no.  David asked ‘Does that mean you won’t beat me up?’  Lionel shook his head no.  David thought for a minute and then asked, ‘Does that mean that you are meaner than your brother.’  Lionel nodded yes but he had gleam in his eye.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.  Jacob went to answer it.  “Hi Jake, here hold these while I get the rest of the order and I’ll help you take them to where you want them.”

Hank and I followed the two younger guys to the pool area where everyone was swimming naked.  I thought Freddie, the pizza delivery guy, was going to drop what he was carrying when he saw the nude bodies swimming in the pool.  He turned to Hank, “Forget the tip, mister, the eye candy is worth the delivery charge as well.”

Tad hopped out of the pool, “Hey Freeloader, you’re late.  You said twenty five minutes.  It's been thirty two since we stopped and placed our order.  If you’re off duty drop the clothes and join us and I’ll introduce you to the people you don’t know.  Dads, you’re not suitably attired for this party.”

The young man dropped his clothes and dove into the pool.  I’ll say this for him.  He sure was a handsome young man.

Hank, Brent, and Jeremy were talking when David came and stood beside me, “Poppa, I’m getting tired.  Can you help me get ready for bed?  Everyone one else is talking.”

I took David to the shower and made sure that he got the chlorine out of his hair.  After he washed his body I started to dry him.  I wrapped a towel around him and myself, we gathered our clothes and went to get some clean clothes.  After David was ready for bed, I made sure he was tucked in.  He looked at me, “Poppa, you love Grandpa, don’t you?”

“David, yes, I’m very fond of your Grandpa.”

“Poppa, do Uncle Chase and that the Pizza man love each?”

 

“David, I don’t think so. They just met each other tonight.  Why did you ask?”

David shrugged his shoulders, “They were just looking at each other like you and Grandpa do.  Poppa, are you going to find Ramsey’s other brother and sister?”

I leaned down and kissed David on the nose, “Little one, you think too much.  Yes, your Grandpa and I will do everything we can to find his other brother and sister.”

“Poppa, what …..”

I looked at David and he started to breathe very quietly.  Ramsey was right.  David does fall asleep talking.

When I got back to the pool area, the teenagers were making sure the area was clean and the three adults were in the shower.  I watched as the teenagers made sure the pool area was ready for inspection. 

Freddie the pizza delivery person was leaving and I tried to pay him.  He shook his head no.  “Mr. Michaels, the pizza was on the house tonight.  I had a great time.  This is the first time in a long time that have felt free to be me.”

I looked at Kevin, Jacob and Tad and they were shaking their heads no as if they were trying to tell me something.  I asked, “Can we at least tip you?”

“Mr. Michaels, you don’t know how important that it is to me that you don’t do anything.  I had a great time tonight.”

I watched as Chase escorted the young man to the exit.  I turned to the guys, “Would someone care to explain what’s happening?”

Kevin answered, “Dad, it’s obvious that Freddie and Chase have connected.”

The other three adults had joined us, and Hank asked, “What do you mean by they've connected?”

Jacob started to laugh, “It was like the day you flashed our Dad in your Santa suit.  The two of you haven’t looked back since.”

“Guys, why would you say something like that about Freddie?  Do you know that he is gay?”

Kevin answered, “Dad, we don’t know anything of the sort.  Freddie only dates for special occasions.  He has girls chasing him all of the time, but he uses the excuse that he has to work at the pizza place.”

Tad added, “Quite frankly, I was surprised when he joined us in the pool tonight because he always seems to find some reason to be one of the last to use the shower after wrestling practice.”

Chase returned so the conversation stopped, “I’m going back to the ranch, so I can help with the chores in the morning.  Anyone going with me?”

Tad stood up, I’ll go with you, since Ramsey, Jacob and David are going to the hospital first thing in the morning.  Besides, I don’t have any clean clothes here.”

As we were getting ready for bed, Jacob and Chris decided they were going to sleep in one room, and Kevin and Ramsey were going to sleep in the room with David. 

After all the guys had departed, I looked at Brent and Jeremy, “Are you guys still thinking that you would like to adopt Ramsey now that he has at least one brother and perhaps another brother and sister?”

Brent got a devilish grin on his face, “I think we could handle the three boys, but a daughter, I’m not sure about.”

Hank started to laugh, “Yeah, we’ve only collect guys so far.  As of now, we only have ten of them.  It’s a good thing that Steve has a job.  By the way, Ramsey is a whiz at math and the computer.  He’ll probably drive me out of business.  Come on Stevie, we need to go to bed.  I have the feeling that tomorrow is going to be another long day.”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  I think things are moving along quite nicely.  It looks like Ramsey's brother is going to get very good care, one way or another.  It is going to be very interesting to see what is going on with his other brother and sister. 

Danny seems to be getting much better as well. I think he is going to be good for Lionel, and hopefully Lionel is going to be good for Danny as well.  I think there are some interesting possibilities springing up, here.  I hope there are more chapters soon. 

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 05/15/09