Julio – The Growing Years

 by: Miguel Sanchez

© 2006-2008 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

The next thing I knew it was Christmas time and Marco again went home to Brazil. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for my kids this year because there hadn’t been much they said they wanted. I guess I was going to have to try to come up with something imaginative.

Chapter 14

It finally hit me that Angel had never been to Receife. I called my care taker and had him get the place ready for me and my family. I knew he would be surprised when he saw the boys and how they’d grown but he would totally flip when he saw Angel.

My next call was to Judge Romero to let him know that I would be spending the holidays in Receife. He was ecstatic because he hadn’t seen Steven since he was very young and he hadn’t met Angel at all. After I spoke with the Judge, I called Paulo. He was really pleased as he would have everyone in town for the holidays.

I notified my pilots that we were going to Brazil over the holidays but they could return home after they dropped us off so they could be with their families. This year was weird as Christmas fell on a Friday. Schools closed half day on Wednesday so we would be able to leave on Thursday morning and get settled.

Duke finished classes the week before Steven and Angel so Jay was home Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t wait until the last minute to tell them about the trip so Monday night over dinner I popped the surprise. Everyone was so happy about the upcoming trip when Angel asked, “What if were packed by Tuesday night. Do you think we could leave after we get home from school?”

A very reasonable question as I thought about it and said, “Sounds good to me. I’m sure you’ll need to do laundry so you’ll have clean things when we travel.”

It’s a good thing I’d taken the liberty of applying for Angel’s passport a few years ago. I’d called the juvenile judge and had travel papers drawn up so she could go.

Wednesday came quicker than I’d expected because I was so busy helping the kids get packed, I hadn’t even started. A good thing was Steven and Angel were at school so I had some peace and quiet because Steven had been asking me questions like he had when he was younger.

Ronnie was a big help and in about an hour, I was packed and ready to go. I called a car service and scheduled a 1:30PM pick up. Steven and Angel got home a little after 12 and Ronnie had lunch ready for us. We had the dishes done and put away by a little after 1 so all I had to do was manage to keep my sanity from a very excited Steven.

Finally the car arrived and Steven went running out the door without his suitcase. He was about to get into the car when Angel caught up with him and grabbed him by the pants. “Would you care to get our bags love?” She asked.

Steven just stood there for a moment digesting the question then started turning several shades of red. It was a good thing I had their passports or Steven would have probably left without it. He was about to go back to the house when Jay and Ronnie each came out carrying two bags. Steven went and helped his brothers put the bags into the trunk then we loaded into the car for the 40 minute trip to General Aviation.

Once at the private terminal, the driver unloaded the bags and saw to it they were put on the plane. I met briefly with the pilot and soon, we were taxiing out to the runway. Once airborne, we relaxed and Ronnie got out some snacks he’d prepared. Steven was acting more like 8 rather than 18 and Angel was doing everything she could to keep him relaxed. “Dad, aren’t there some videos on the plane?” Ronnie asked as Steven was getting on his nerves also.

I’m glad someone had the sense to remember those because I sure hadn’t. “Yes son there are.” I replied as I got up and put one in so Steven would relax.

Four videos later, we were making our decent into Receife. It was early evening when we deplaned and got our things into the Blazer for the trip to the house. It didn’t take long for me to make the trip back to the house. Once there, we got our bags into the house as Ronnie and I checked the fridge. God I love my caretaker. He’d gone out and stocked the fridge and freezer with everything we’d need for a week. I don’t think he realized that we probably wouldn't be doing much cooking here but I also knew, it wouldn’t go to waste.

While we started fixing dinner, Steven, Angel and Jay were busy unpacking. Once the food was going, Ronnie and I went to do our things and much to our surprise, they were done too.

After dinner and the dishes were done, we sat and watched a little television. By nine, our bodies were telling us we were all ready for bed.

I slept in and was awakened by the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying. I looked at the clock and it was only seven. I hated coming here and getting my body clock out of whack. I looked at my watch and it was reading 10. I put on a pair of shorts then went to the bathroom. I joined my kids and Jay set a cup of coffee in front of me saying, “Morning Dad. What are we going to do today?”

I reset my watch then replied, “I thought we would surprise Marco. I called Paulo to let him know we were coming here for the holidays.”

“He didn’t tell Marco, did he?” Steven asked.

“No son,” I said. “I also want to see the look on Paulo’s face when he meets Angel.”

“That’s right Dad,” Ronnie said. “He’s never met her.”

We finished breakfast and by 8:30, we were on our way to surprise Marco. As we drove to Paulo’s, we went by my father’s old estate. “Wow Dad, that place is beautiful,” Angel said. “Who does it belong to?”

I pulled over and stopped the car saying, “That is where I grew up sweetheart. That is my father’s estate.”

“Dad,” Jay started. “How come you never showed us that before?”

I put the car in park and got out looking at the old place. “The day my father died, I bought the house we have now and I never went back son.”

“But why, Dad?” Ronnie asked.

I looked through the gate that blocked the driveway and thought about all the wonderful years I had growing up here. The house was so full of memories of my father, Luiz, Elaina and me. After she died, it took a while for the place to seem like home again but it did. It took about six months but things got back to normal. “The day my father died, my life seemed to come to an end. Luiz took care of securing everything and got someone to take care of the grounds. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve stepped foot in there.”

“Who has the keys Dad?” Steven asked.

“I’m not sure son. I could call the foundation and see. To my knowledge they’re still paying him for his work here. I would suppose he has the keys.”

Jay wrapped his arms around me. “I would love to see Grandpa’s house Dad. I really wish we had the chance to meet the man who gave us you.”

“I'll see what I can do son. I’ll call the Foundation and then call the caretaker.”

I stared at the mansion for a few more minutes before getting back into the Blazer and heading over to Marco’s. Paulo knew who was at the door so he sent Marco to answer it. “Pop, guys, what are you doing here?”

“We can leave if you want bro,” Jay said laughing at Marco's question.

“Come in you guys,” Marco said moving out of the way.

We were talking in the living room when Paulo came in greeting us. He took one look at Angel and said, “My God, she’s more stunning then Marco described. Steven, look at you how you’ve grown. You have a very beautiful bride to be.”

“Thank you Paulo,” Steven said.

He looked at Jay and Ronnie and hugged both boys. “Ronnie, you’ve become quite the cook I hear. Jay, I’m so glad you've taken after your father. Come, come sit down. I have lunch going.”

Paulo put out a nice lunch then we sat down as Paulo and I watched the four boys eat almost everything. After we finished, Paulo took us around the city. I was amazed at the number of kids that were hanging around not doing much of anything. I looked at several of them and I saw the lost looks and blank stares that told me they were street kids.

We were out of the business district and going back into another residential area when Angel spotted a large piece of property with a large brick wall around it. “Dad, what’s that place over there?”

As we passed it, I looked through the iron gates and noticed there wasn’t anything standing on it. “Paulo, have you any idea what was there?”

We pulled over and got out to take a look. “I don’t know Miguel,” he said as he scanned over the vacant property. “I think there was a residence there but I don’t know what’s happened to it.”

I made a mental note to look into it on Monday. When we got back to Paulo’s I called the foundation and found out who had keys to my father’s mansion. I was informed there were a set of keys there and I could pick them up any time before they closed.

The boys stayed with Marco while Angel and I went to the foundation and got the keys to my father’s mansion. “Dad, are you going to be alright when you go inside?”

“I don’t know darling. I know it will bring back memories that I haven’t thought about in many many years.”

We pulled in front of the house and went up to the iron gate. I pulled out the keys and I still remembered which key unlocked the lock. We pushed the gates open then got back in the car and we drove up the drive. Angel saw the outside of the house and she gasped saying, “My God Daddy, it’s beautiful.”

As I got out of the car, memories of my childhood came flooding to my mind. I could see my father sitting on the porch and Elaina through the window. I stood there as if I was expecting my Father to come out and welcome me home. I didn’t know how long I stood there but suddenly I felt Angel’s hand touch me gently on the shoulder. I wiped the tears away and went to the front door and unlocked it. As I opened it, I heard that familiar squeak it had when I was a kid. “Damn, I still need to get that fixed.” I said as we went into the foyer.

I took a deep breath and smelled that old house smell. It was like a stale mothballs but one I loved so very much. “Oh Daddy, I would have loved to met Grandfather. This house is beautiful.”

I could tell the caretakers keep the house clean because the years of dust that I would have expected, just wasn’t there. I walked around the downstairs and soon was standing outside my room. I slowly opened the door and stood there with my mind taking me back again to the days of my youth. I could see myself playing inside and even remembered the time Ramon and I experimented with each other. I went back to the living room and saw Angel coming down from the second story that was for Luiz and Elaina. “Daddy, why don’t you buy this back?”

“I don’t know love. It’s bigger than we’d ever use.”

“I know Dad but it would be back in your family instead of the foundation. Think about it, please?”

Angel had a point. I missed this house but as little as I’m in Receife, it was bigger than I’d need. After looking around, I’m sorry I didn’t stay here and let the boys live here and enjoy some of the life I had here. “Alright darling, I will think about it.”

We returned home and Angel and I fixed us some dinner. Afterwards, we started watching a movie but my mind was more on what she’d suggested.

The boys were with Marco and after dinner the four of them were relaxing in Marco’s room. They all started cuddling and soon things started getting a little to hot for Steven.

He’d remembered all the things he’d done a few years earlier but since he’d made love with Angel and proposed to her, he wanted to be totally faithful to her. He knew she wouldn’t have a problem if he had fun again with his brothers and Marco but this was something he wanted to do.

Ronnie reached over and started rubbing Steven’s chest and he really enjoyed the closeness but when Ronnie’s had moved lower and made contact with his crotch did Steven flinch. “What’s wrong bro?” Ronnie asked softly.

“I can’t Ronnie,” Steven replied. “I love Angel. You know we’ve made love and I want to be true to her.”

Marco looked up and asked, “You can’t fool around with us now Steven?”

Jay looked at his brother and understood exactly where he was coming from. “It’s not that Marco,” Jay said. “Steven's messed around with us when we were younger but it was more experimenting than anything. I understand exactly where he’s coming from. Marco, you’re the only one we will ever do anything with other than Steven. Steven isn’t gay. When he was little, he loved what Ronnie and I did to him and he even felt us and jacked us off a couple of times but that was really the extent of it.”

Marco finished kicking his pants and underwear off then went over to Steven. He hugged the younger teen then said, “I’m sorry Steven. I thought you liked guys as much as you do girls.”

“Guess I’m the odd one out here,” Steven said feeling a little bad he’d let the others down.

“You’re not the odd one here bro,” Ronnie said. “You love Angel and you’re our brother. We love you for who you are. No one will ever make you feel bad for being straight.”

The boys got dressed and took Steven home so he could be with Angel. Steven didn’t have a problem knowing Jay, Ronnie and Marco would be having sex together but it just wasn’t him now. The three of them talked with me a little when Steven went to be with Angel. “Is there anything wrong guys?” I asked.

The boys turned a little red then Marco said, “No Pop, everything is fine. We started making out and Steven felt out of place. We know Steven and Angel are a couple but thought he would enjoy being with us too.”

“Is everything alright between you boys?” I asked.

“Yeah Dad,” Jay answered. “He’s our brother and nothings ever gonna change that. We’re fine.”

“Alright,” I said making sure I didn’t have a problem to take care of. “I’m glad you guys were able to work it out amongst yourselves.”

The three departed and went back to Marco’s house. A little while later Steven came out and sat on my lap like he did when he was little. I wrapped my arms around him as he asked, “Why did I feel so out of place Dad? I know what they were gonna do. I’d even done it some.”

“You not gay son,” I said. “You played around when you were younger like all boys do. You know your brothers are but you love and accept that but you love Angel. That’s who you are. They aren’t upset with you Steven. They’re more upset with themselves for not remembering you and Angel were engaged.”

“I just didn’t want them mad with me,” Steven said into my shoulder.

“That could never happen son,” I said as I rubbed his hair. “They love you and that is something that will never change.”

We sat there a few more minutes when Angel returned and we watched television until it was time for bed. The next day, my mind was back on my father’s house. Angel and I had been through it and after I picked Jay and Ronnie up from Marco’s, we again were back in front of that property. I took the keys from my pocket and unlocked the iron gates and pushed them open so we could make our way up the drive.

I parked in front of the massive house and we all got out. I unlocked the front door and opened it and this time I felt at peace with the place. Jay, Ronnie and Steven took off exploring Dad’s house and I could hear all the amazement in their voices as they found different things. “You’re home now, aren’t you Dad?” Angel asked smiling at me.

I smiled at her, “Yes sweetie, I am.”

Steven came running back and said, “Dad, there’s a swimming pool out back.”

I laughed at his comment and said, “Yes son, your grandfather had a pool put in.”

I could see these teenaged boys acting like little boys and it made me feel good. “So are you Dad?” Angel asked.

“Yes sweetheart, I am,” I replied as she wrapped her arms around me.

“Huh,” Steven asked.

I was about to answer when Jay and Ronnie came running in. “Dad, why aren’t you living here? This place is beautiful.”

I went over to them and said, “It’s a long story son but let’s just say we’ll be back here in a couple of days.”

I contacted The Foundation and found out what they bought the place for and then contacted my bank in Virginia so they could wire transfer the money. The Foundation decided to buy my house so they would have a place for visitors to stay when in Recife. They made me a fair offer for the house and after talking with the boys, they decided to leave their bedroom furniture there.

I made some calls and had the few things I wanted moved into our new house. The last time I was there, I turned the refrigerator and air conditioning on. I had the boys pack the food in the fridge and freezer so we didn’t have to worry about going to the store again. Once our clothes were unpacked and the extra linens were going in the wash Jay came running in and asked, “Can we invite Marco over and show him the house?”

I thought about it for a minute then said, “I have a better idea. How about we have a party tomorrow? We can invite Marco and Paulo over as well as Judge Romero, Danny and the boys.”

Ronnie came over and said, “Good idea Dad. I’ll sit down and plan a menu. I will probably have to go to the store for more food but I want this to be just right.”

Jay laughed at him, “You sound like a caterer.”

Ronnie slapped him on the butt, “No bro, I just want this to be a good party.”

“Alright guys Ronnie is right, this is going to be a special event here. If your Uncle Luiz were here, he’d do the same thing.”

“I know he would Dad,” Jay said. “I was just giving Ronnie a hard time. What were you thinking of making?”

“Since there won’t be all that many here,” Ronnie said planning the menu out loud. “I was thinking of barbequing some chicken and doing some ribs.”

“Ribs,” Steven said running in. “If you’re doing that, you’ll need potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans.”

“Oh no,” Angel said. “The last time you ate them I suffered.”

I thought about his menu then said, “How about adding a small roast beef too?”

“I can do that,” Ronnie said. “I’ll need to go to the store now because I’ll want to start that first thing in the morning.”

The plans were put into motion and Ronnie and Angel were off to the store while Jay, Steven and I started getting the house clean. That night, we had everything ready and I was going to be sleeping in my childhood home once again.

I chose my father’s old room and my old one was going to be the guest room. Upstairs, Luiz’s room was Steven and Angel’s while Jay and Ronnie used the old second floor guest room. There was another room up there that was for our live in housekeeper and that could be used as an extra guest room.

The next morning, Ronnie was up early and had the brick barbeque going then put the beef on the rotisserie. As soon as breakfast was over, Ronnie had us peeling potatoes while he was shredding cabbage for the coleslaw.

Marco and Paulo were the first to arrive. Jay took them on a tour of the house while Ronnie was checking on the food. The salads were made and going in the fridge as Judge Romero arrived. I shook his hand as he said, “I’m so glad you decided to get your Father’s house back Miguel. I used to come here when you were in diapers.”

You what?” I asked in surprise.

“I came here when you were still in diapers,” the Judge said. “I’ve even changed you.”

I turned several shades of red when I heard that. So did Jay as he said, “You changed Dad, Judge Romero? Wow, that’s really something.”

“I was good friends with your Grandfather Jay,” Judge Romero said. “It is a shame he died before he got the chance to get to know his grandsons. I am sure he would have been proud of you all.”

The last group to arrive was Danny and his boys. Well, they aren’t boys any more. Donnie is in college. Victor and Raul are in high school with plans on attending college. The kids showed our guests around the house while I took over cooking duties. It was a very warm day and everyone ended up spending some time in the pool.

Ronnie had to be the first to leave as it was time to put the ribs on the grill. As soon as he lifted the cover, he was surrounded by on lookers. Once he put the rest of the meat on, it wasn’t long before we were all devouring Ronnie’s feast. The rest of our time there went by all too quickly and soon we were heading home.

To be continued...

Posted: 06/20/08