A Second Chance, Part V - Chapter 9
By: Tickie
(Copyright 2008 by the author and creator)
Editor: Gerry Young and Radio Rancher
Colt waited for the twins to get the stairs in place, then he climbed the stairs with Matt, Luke, Mark, and the rest of the bunch following them up the stairs. He waited for the door to open then shook hands with the Boeing pilot and co-pilot as they were instructed not to let anyone off the plane until Colt had boarded. Once Colt entered the cabin he made sure no one was in the lounge. Yes, there were others on board but that was still part of the surprise for the family.
Just inside the lounge, Colt let the twins and family enter.
Both Luke and Mark were crying and thanking their dad at the same time. It was truly a heart-wrenching sight, for Colt, Matt, and their two sons.
Mike just looked at everything and couldn't believe his own eyes. "Colt, they did a great job of matching this one with the original Cowboy, didn't they?"
"Gramps, they sure as hell did!" Luke exclaimed wiping the tears from his eyes. He wanted to see the rest of Cowboy.
"Dad, what a great Christmas present for us!" Mark said with excitement in his voice and tears in his eyes; as he continued to look at everything, he headed right for the flight deck with Luke following him. With a shrill scream you could hear, "OH MY GOD! It's just like Cowboy!"
"Hell, it is Cowboy reborn, bro!" Luke told his brother and anyone else who was within a mile of the plane. His excitement couldn't be controlled, even if you had him in a straight jacket.
Both the boys headed out into the lounge again and ran up to James's portrait and Mark reached out and ran his fingers over the plaque that was attached, but found that Luke had his fingers there as well.
Luke read the plaque for all to hear … but had to stop; he was so choked up Mark finished reading it.
|
COWBOY II Named in Honor of 'COWBOY' Lost at Sea James Robert Andersen June 2, 1938 - June 14, 1967 Boeing 737-ER |
Colt walked up to Luke and put his good arm over his son's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "It's ok, son, we understand."
Matt did the same to Mark and whispered, "It's ok, my boy, we understand how you both feel right now."
Both fathers and their sons left the flight deck and went into the lounge where the rest of the family and friends were gathered. Colt then spoke, saying, "Now for the next surprise and huge Christmas present for everyone, and more so for those who never had a chance to eat in Hawaii! I have brought Hawaii to Canada!" As he was speaking, he went to the partition between the lounge and the conference room and opened the curtains; he looked at his friend and asked him to enter the lounge. "Everyone, I want you to welcome Chef Mayoki; he has agreed to prepare a fabulous Hawaiian Christmas dinner!" He was shaking his hand and everyone in the lounge was in awe of what Colt had done.
Most of the food was prepared and already loaded into the freight area of Cowboy, and was already being unloaded and taken into the lodge's kitchen; some special items needed refrigeration right away, and other decorations needed it also. Nevertheless, the kitchen staff and others were able to unload it without delay.
No one even noticed that the Boeing pilots and the small corporate jet had left in the middle of the excitement; they only noticed it when Luke said, "Where are those two pilots that flew Cowboy here, I want to thank them!"
Colt and Matt were so very proud of their sons, and wanted so badly for Johnny and Grace to come up for Christmas dinner, but as promised they didn't push the issue for they knew that it wouldn't be long and they would soon have a wonderful daughter-in-law.
The rest of the day was filled with much hustle and bustle around the lodge, with everyone doing his or her own thing, getting ready for the big day. The twins were as excited as if they were five again; it seemed like it was just yesterday when they were adopted by Colt and Matt; now they were grown men who still fanaticized about Santa.
Chef Mayoki asked that the dining room be locked until Christmas Dinner, to keep the surprise. Joel simply moved several folding tables and chairs into the lobby. Dinner was served as a buffet the night of the 24th .
Christmas morning again found the dining room locked and a buffet breakfast served in the lobby. Of course the Christmas Tree was there and that's where all the gifts were going to be exchanged. And exchanged they were. There were so many gifts and packages it would have taken another jet to haul them all back to the ranch when the time would come. I wouldn't go into who got whom what, but let's just say the typical gifts were exchanged; clothes seemed to be the big item, but there were other goodies as well. But what else would you buy for people who had the world at their doorstep? It took nearly four hours for all the gifts to be handed out and opened with care. George was dressed as 'Santa' and had the 'ho, ho, ho' down pat, handing out the gifts of which he had several with tags that said, "To Santa, From the Gang" which made him smile even more.
There were even gifts for Chef Mayoki and his crew, which surprised him and his girls. After they had opened their gifts, Chef Mayoki said, "Give me about thirty minutes and I will be out to get you for dinner." Then he and his staff left for the kitchen.
Everyone else started moving their gifts to their rooms. No one wanted to be late for dinner, so they all hurried and got back to the lobby and found seats and chatted until Chef Mayoki came into the lobby and made the announcement, "Will you be so kind as to wait to be seated by one of my young ladies? Thank You!" He then bowed and returned to the dinning room.
Christmas dinner would consist of a backyard lu'au, complete with a pig roasted in an underground pit called an imu (eemu), but at the lodge it would be a roasted pig alright that was mostly prepared in Hawaii, carried to the lodge by Cowboy. Nothing could have been grander than having Cowboy as a part of the celebration.
Other parts of the dinner were:
Sushi, (Raw tuna, and other fish wrapped in a bed of rice, with a seaweed outer wrap)
Manapua (mah-nah-POO-ah) (Manapua are sweet, tender steamed rolls usually filled with chicken or pork; poke (POH-kay) is the Hawaiian version of ceviche, bits of very fresh fish or shellfish usually marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, a little rice vinegar and various spices.)
Mixed tropical fruit from the islands.
Coconut Pudding.
A simple meal, but with Chef Mayoki cooking it, it was 'out-of-this-world delicious'.
Everyone waited their turn to be escorted into the dining room. The Anderson family were the last to be taken to their seats. Upon arriving, they were shocked to see a gorgeous white cowboy-hat sitting with the brim up at each of their places. Mike was the first to speak a word, saying, "Ok, smart-asses, who bought these?" he had a wonderful grin as he looked directly at Colt.
"Don't look at me!" Colt exclaimed.
Matt smiled and said, "I think maybe a few guardian angels had their magical fingers in this pie. Am I right, you guys?" he laughed.
The hats were truly wonderful and were new and fit perfectly, as promised a long time ago. The mood was now set and the girls began to bring out the orchid leis for each person. The dining room itself was filled with assorted flowers from the islands, along with potted live palm trees and pineapples. The room smelled as we remembered it standing in the garden of Chef Mayoki's restaurant. They had really out-done themselves with everything absolutely perfect, as James and I would say.
The meal, or should I say, the feast, was exquisitely prepared and served. There was very little talking going on, as it seemed everyone was too busy devouring the meal.
After dessert was served, Mike stood and began to speak saying, "I want to thank my sons, Colt and Matt, for I think they both had their hands in this little surprise, for it was a surprise to Andrew and me." Then he grinned as he sat down.
Colt got up and said, "Pops, it was all my doings, sorry to say; I didn't even tell Matt; he has a big mouth and would have blabbed it!" He poked Matt in the side as he talked.
Matt just smiled and said, "So, I got a big mouth, do I? You never complain about it in the bedroom." Then he broke out in laughter along with everyone else around the table.
Joel stood up and said, "I want to thank all of you for a wonderful Christmas, and this dinner was something I don't think Aaron or I would have ever had a chance to enjoy if it weren't for you folks. Thanks again for coming up and making this time of the year so very special for all of us here at White River Lodge. I understand you have to take Chef Mayoki and his staff back to Hawaii tomorrow. Will that mean you all will leave us?" He sat back down and looked directly at Colt, waiting for an answer.
Colt said, "Well, Matt, my sons and I will be flying Cowboy back to Hawaii in the morning with Chef Mayoki and his staff. The rest will stay here until the 31st, then Kevin and Jerry will fly them back to the ranch in the other jet on his way to pick up your next group of guests." He was smiling at Luke and Mark knowing what was ahead.
Matt was also watching the reaction of the twins as Colt was speaking, but he wasn't alone either. Mike and Andrew were concerned about how the boys would handle the flight back to the islands.
The boys just looked at each other and with a nudge Luke spoke up saying, "We'll be just fine, so stop worrying about it! OK? Then they both grinned and began to chuckle.
But James, Richard, JC, and I knew it was going to be a test for them; yes, it was going to be something they needed to do, and we would be there to help them all we could. We would not let them go alone; we would be on that plane with them.
The Christmas vacation for the family was trying at times, but they all needed that break from reality. Matt was still having headaches; Colt was healing, but his arm at times was sore. Luke and Mark were still trying to hide their guilt over losing Cowboy; even with the new plane parked in the hanger, they were worried about the trip in the morning. I knew it and so did JC and Richard. Richard just told me that it was the best thing that could be done for them, and we all knew that, but it was reassuring to hear him say it.
********
The next morning found Luke and Mark in the dining room waiting on their dads, and Chef Mayoki and his crew. Cowboy was completely loaded with all the equipment and stuff that they had brought from Hawaii. All that was left to do now was for Colt and Matt to join them.
"Good morning, Pops!" The twins said in unison as Colt and Matt entered the dining room.
Matt spoke saying, "Good morning to you all. I see we are the last to arrive!" He was smiling and you could see he was feeling better.
Colt winked at the boys and said, "Are you guys ready to take our guests back to the islands this morning?" He was nodding to Chef Mayoki and the girls as he waited for the answer.
"Sure, Pops!" came the reply from the boys who were grinning back at him.
It wasn't long until they were ready to leave, but before leaving they were met by the rest of the family, along with Joel, Aaron, and the rest including George.
Colt spoke up saying, "I want to thank you all for a wonderful Christmas vacation, and it won't be soon forgotten!" He was shaking hands with everyone as he spoke then headed for Cowboy, followed by Matt, who also said his goodbyes as well.
Mark was also shaking hands with George and laughingly said, "Next time, don't go swimming in the middle of winter; it's too damned cold and the water's too hard for that unless you want to join the Polar Bears' Club!"
"I don't plan on doing that—I prefer the Mile High Club, and besides I threw the crowbar back in the lake already. I might need it again. One never knows around this group of perverts." This brought on a HUGE laugh from everyone while George just stood there expressionless with a dead-pan face. This even made it funnier. Everyone was in stitches by then.
They approached Cowboy II, and you could see glassy eyes of two boys as they climbed the stairs for their first flight. Once they entered the plane and everyone who was going, was aboard, which were only Colt, Matt, Luke and Mark, plus Chef Mayoki and his girls. They looked out of the door as Kevin and Jerry pulled the stairs away from Cowboy, but before closing it, they waved goodbye to family and friends.
Everyone on the ground watched as Cowboy's engines were started and he taxied out of the hanger onto the runway, turned and began the first flight of his new life with the Andersons. Once they were airborne, Luke turned Cowboy and flew over the lodge and dipped his wings in a parting gesture as they headed west for the ocean and the islands.
The boys loved flying him; you could see it in their faces and the twinkle in their eyes. Colt and Matt stayed in the lounge area with their guests until they were about to leave the mainland, and began their trip over the Pacific again. Both of them were worried what might happen as they got closer to the place where they lost the old Cowboy, and how the boys would react. They had talked about being on the flight deck when that time came. They were not sure if it was a good idea or not, but they felt the need to be there. It couldn't be that their guardian angels were sending them those thoughts, could IT?
Hours later they could see the mainland coast and the Golden Gate Bridge fading away into the distance. You could also feel the tension building. Yes, the boys were starting to feel that something wasn't right and maybe things would repeat. They watched the radar like two hawks.
As they approached the location of Cowboy's ill-fated flight, Colt asked, "How you guys doing? You need a little moral support?" The dads couldn't stand sitting in the lounge when they knew their boys were going to be nervous, or worse.
Matt reached over the back of Mark's seat and began to work his son's shoulders, massaging them, trying to let him know he was there, sharing his thoughts and reflections of what was ahead. He spoke not a word, but Mark knew what he was thinking.
While Colt was doing much the same with Luke, with his good hand he began to work the muscles in Luke's back and neck letting him know he was also there and thinking about him.
As they approached the site of the ill-fated flight of Cowboy the weather was wonderful, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the flight was smooth and the new plane was handling very well. Both the boys and their dads were deep in thought as they began the approach to the islands.
As they saw the airport coming into view, both Colt and Matt said in unison almost as if they had someone prodding them into saying, "Good job, sons!" With that, they gave their boys a good pat on the back and left the flight deck, returning to their guests in the lounge.
James, JC, Richard, and I were so very proud of the twins and their dads; we all had tears in our eyes as the love of fathers and sons was so evident on the flight deck of Cowboy at that moment, and it would last forever. We all felt it as we were standing there watching it all unfold before our eyes.
After arriving at the terminal, Chef Mayoki and staff were taken by one of the company limos back to their restaurant. All the equipment and other items were loaded by the ground crews into two company vans and they too were unloaded and everything put away, so Chef and his girls didn't have to lift a finger. Before they left, Chef Mayoki invited Colt, Matt, and the boys for a special dinner at his restaurant the next day before they returned to the ranch, and they accepted the invitation.
Colt, Matt and the boys spent the night in the company's penthouse. They were so very tired with the long flight from the lodge to the islands. They all stripped down and took a family shower. Yes, there were some hot times in the shower and it was big enough for each one to enjoy his partner. But once they had enjoyed the release they all wanted so badly, they crawled into the oversized bed and snuggled up and fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning found the twins waking up first and seeing their dads sleeping so peacefully, they decided to just get up and head into the living room and order-in breakfast from room service, to be served a little later.
It wasn't long before Matt came into the living room with just a towel around his waist, followed by Colt with a grin on his face. "How about a shower, boys? You up for it?"
Matt pulled on Colt's towel and revealed a morning erection to match his own, then looked over toward the boys motioning them to come along, saying, "Come on; it's time for a family get together!" winking at the boys, and turning to Colt and winking at him as well.
The twins didn't say a word; they just got up shucking their clothes and dropping them all along the way to the bathroom.
It didn't take long before the family was enjoying each other's bodies; playing with stiff objects was the order of the day, and play they did. It only seemed like a short time before there was a knock on the door. Hurriedly they left the shower and Luke answered the door wrapped only in a towel, letting the young waiter push the cart inside.
Luke said, "Wait here, I'll be right back!" He left the young man standing there while he retrieved some money from the bedroom; returning, he handed him a generous tip and thanked him for such good service.
The aroused waiter left with a hopeful smile on his face after seeing the naked family leaving the bathroom.
That night the family was treated to one of Chef Mayoki's wonderful private dinners, no different than any one of the dinners that Colt and Matt had enjoyed with their dads over the years. The food was scrumptious as always, and the surroundings were so delightful.
Between the main meal and dessert, Colt and Matt took the boys for a walk out onto the beach and told them the story about what their great-grandfathers had done with their rings on that very beach so many years ago. It was something of a history lesson for the young Anderson boys, but they loved hearing about the family, and always did. As the story finished, they noticed they were again back on the patio and there was the most beautiful flaming dessert waiting for them. With much pride, Luke asked Chef Mayoki if he and his girls would like to come to the ranch for there commitment in June. They would be coming only as guests and wouldn't have to do a thing but enjoy Wyoming.
Both the boys and their fathers were surprised that Chef Mayoki agreed and said they would be happy to come to their commitment ceremony.
Smiling at his boys, Colt said, "So you two have decided then?"
"Looks like Luke did!" Mark snickered.
"Well, someone has to make up our minds for us!" Luke chuckled as he leaned over and kissed his brother and lover.
Matt just smiled and said, "Whatever you two decide on is wonderful. I'm one happy father and I am so very proud of you both!"
********
Over the next couple days in Hawaii, they enjoyed the beach and the islands but it was time now for the trip back to the ranch. New Years was something they wanted to be home for and share with the rest of the family.
The trip home began around 10:00 in the morning of the 31st; this would get them home in time for the midnight celebration at the ranch. Mark and Luke had called Johnny and Grace a few times from the islands, and talked about their commitment. Their brother and his girlfriend were so very happy for them and wanted to help in the planning. Both Luke and Mark were happy and excited that their brother was accepting.
Just the four of them would be on board Cowboy II for the flight home. Luke and Mark started the flight and were soon relieved by their dads. Yes, Colt and Matt took the controls while the twins went to heat up some meals that were already prepared and stored aboard. Once the meals were ready, Colt put Cowboy on auto-pilot. Both of them left the flight deck and joined their sons for a hot breakfast at thirty thousand feet. The weather was so nice they decided on a little mile high fun. So they all striped down to their birthday suits and played the mile high games. Yes they all enjoyed not only the flight home but the freedom of flying nude. Not something James, JC, Richard, or I were ever able to do or even think about in our days. That's not saying we didn't have our share of fun in the sky, but for those four wonderful young men it was something to behold. We were turning in voyeurs, staying invisible so that the twins couldn't see us, and we could enjoy the stimulation of the sensual airborne "Olympics".
Flying in the direction they were, from the west to the east, and with it being in the middle of winter, the sun was setting behind them by the time they saw Casper coming into view.
"Home sweet home!" Luke stated over the sound system.
Colt got up and headed for the flight deck; Matt was dozing in one of the recliners after taking one of his meds for the headaches. He didn't want to wake him just yet. "Hello, up here; how's it going?" he asked rather loudly so as to be heard by the boys.
"Doing just fine, Pops!" Mark stated as he looked over his shoulder at his dad entering the flight deck.
Luke picked up the microphone and radioed the ranch to let them know they would be arriving in a matter of minutes. Then he turned to his dad and with a smile said, "This plane is great, Pops; better than the old Cowboy."
"It should be for what it cost!" Colt smiled back, then said, "Well, we have a new Buckaroo II coming soon. It was about time we replaced them both. Not that I liked the way Cowboy was replaced." He laughed as he finished his remarks.
"Neither did we, Pops; neither did we!" Mark said.
Seeing the ranch coming into view, Luke turned on the runway lights, as it was 5:30 PM and it was dark. Mark brought Cowboy over the ranch house letting them all know they were home. They circled and landed. Taxiing up to Cowboy's hanger once again was a thrill for those on the ground watching him come home.
The stairs were soon rolled up and the door opened where Colt, Matt, Luke, and Mark started to exit and joined the rest of the family who were standing there waiting for them.
Johnny ran up the stairs to meet them and he wanted to see the new plane. So Mark and Luke took him back inside for a grand tour, while the rest of the family just looked around the outside of the new Cowboy.
Johnny asked his brothers, "How does he handle? As well as the old Cowboy?" You could tell he was excited about the new one, almost like a young man with a new car.
"It's like flying a dream boat!" Luke said.
"I have to agree with him, bro; we need to take it up tomorrow so you can fly him," Mark said.
After they had pretty well seen all there was to see, they headed into the house where dinner was waiting for them. Julie and Jo were back to their old tricks again—having a delicious meal waiting for their homecoming.
The new year was entered that night with the family gathered together and what looked to be a wonderful and exciting year to come. Colt would soon be out of his cast, and his aches and pains pretty much gone. The twins were resilient in their recovery; of course, no one could really tell that the kind of pain they suffered was one of the mind. Matt, on the other hand, was still having those bad headaches but they were getting further and further apart. We all were hoping that whatever his problems were, they would soon end.
Luke and Mark were now making plans for their commitment ceremony in the Spring; it was too cold for it to be any sooner, as they wanted to hold it outside in the family's special place up on Casper Mountain.
Only time will tell what's in store for the Anderson family.
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