Published: 16 Nov 2023

From The Previous Chapter:

Mr. Ken hugged the young Cover and told the boy to drain his dragon before he jumped into his bed. The boy smiled and hugged the man back. And as the man walked out of the room, so did the boy, as he headed to the bathroom.

It had been a very busy and interesting week for the man, who owned the estate known as The Cove. He was happy with how things were shaping up with his amusement parks, and his three new ventures. He now told himself he had to focus on Kate, and how he could make her his wife. Then he smiled to himself as he was becoming more and more sure that he would one day ask her to be his wife.

Everyone at The Cove slept very well that night.

Mr. Ken woke up in a very cheerful mood. He did his usual morning routine, and then he went outside and retrieved his morning newspaper. He then came inside and poured himself his first cup of hot coffee, which was brewed when the automatic coffee maker turned on at its set time. The man then put some breakfast tacos in the convection oven, so the boys would have something hot to eat when they came down for their own breakfast.

Phillip was the first boy to arrive in the Kitchen Nook, as he had his guitar lesson at nine with Mr. Bindy. The boy said hello to Mr. Ken, and then he immediately took care of freshening up Chief’s water and kibble bowls before sitting down to his own breakfast.

The breakfast tacos weren’t done heating yet, so Mr. Ken told the youngster that he would put his in the microwave oven, if he wanted them. The boy said he’d like that and then thanked his foster dad for doing that for him. The young Cover then went and poured himself a glass of milk, while he waited for the bacon, egg and cheese breakfast tacos to finish warming up.

While the tacos were being heated, Mr. Ken told Phillip to remind Mr. Bindy that after next weekend, the Memorial Day weekend, they would be gone on their trip, so he shouldn’t stop by The Cove on those two weekends. Phillip thanked his foster dad for reminding him about their being gone for those two weekends.

The timer went off on the microwave oven and Phillip went over and took his tacos out, and went back to the table to eat them. The two talked about the boy’s mother and Phillip asked if he would get to see her during the week. Mr. Ken told his foster son that either he or Mr. Wayne would make sure he got to see her for longer than thirty minutes this time. Phillip smiled at hearing that.

Mr. Ken looked at the time and indicated to Phillip that he better drain his dragon and then get ready to meet his guitar instructor. The boy quickly took his dirty dishes to the sink, rinsed them, placed them in the dishwasher, rushed to the half-bath to drain his dragon, and then he washed his hands. He no sooner opened the half-bath door than the Foyer doorbell rang.

“Hi, Mr. Bindy, everything’s ready in the Great Room,” announced Phillip, as he opened the door for his instructor.

When the two got ready for their lesson, Phillip told the man that he would be gone on a trip beginning the weekend after the Memorial Day weekend for two Saturdays, so he shouldn’t plan to come there. Mr. Bindy took out his date planner and made a note in it and then the two began the lesson.

To start the lesson, Mr. Bindy had Phillip play the chords he assigned the boy to practice the past week. He was pleased how well the boy could play them, and then the two began to play them together. Mr. Bindy then showed the boy how easy it was to switch between all the chords the boy now knew, and put them into a song. As they did that, Phillip had a big smile on his face.

When the two played for a while, Phillip then told the man about his new birthday present. Mr. Bindy asked if he could see it. The young Cover asked the man to follow him and the two went through the Kitchen Nook to get a golf cart. Along the way, Phillip told Mr. Ken where they were going. Mr. Ken asked Mr. Bindy if he was going to have a lesson next Saturday, since it was the 3-day Holiday weekend. The guitar instructor said he would, since Phillip would miss the two weekends after that.

At the storage garage, Phillip used the code to open the side door, and then he opened the garage door, so Mr. Bindy could see the electric guitar. The boy told his instructor that it wasn’t the best one, as Mr. Ken wanted him to see how easy or difficult it was to play, and then the boy plugged the instrument in, checked the tuning and then played it.

As Phillip played the electric guitar, Mr. Bindy listened and watched as the boy played the new instrument. He was impressed how the boy was able to pick up the new instrument so easily and play, so the man joined in using his own guitar. The two jammed for a few minutes and Phillip was now having fun. But Mr. Bindy saw what time it was and told the boy he needed to get back to his car, and get to his next appointment.

Phillip thanked the man for playing with him and the two got into the golf cart and they talked as Phillip drove the man to his car. Mr. Bindy told Phillip he was doing extremely well, and for him to keep practicing the same chords for next week.

While the two guitarists were up at the Pavilion garage jamming, Billy, Robert, Charles and Matthew were hanging the second dinner bell. They’d brought out the bell and a ladder and as Robert and Charles steadied the ladder, Billy took the 25-pound dinner bell, with at least one bolt through a mounting hole, and the other two bolts in his pocket, up the ladder and carefully placed the bolt into the hole. He then took out another bolt and worked it into another hole and then did the same to the third bolt.

Now that all three bolts were in the holes, the teenager worked the nuts, and a lock washer, onto the backs of the bolts and finger tightened them. Once that was done, Billy came down off the ladder and the teens reset the ladder and this time Charles went up and, using two rachets, he tightened the three bolts. That was so they were snug to ensure the dinner bell would not come loose, when it was rung. Robert then did the honors and rang the dinner bell, to see how it sounded.

Phillip heard the bell being rung, as Mr. Bindy drove off, so he hurried over to his ‘brothers’ and asked to ring the bell, too. The young Cover smiled as he pulled on the rope and the bell rang. Robert then asked his ‘brother’ to take the rope up to the Pavilion and tie it off on the railing, so anyone could ring it from there, and not have to come down there to ring it.

The five Covers hurried back to the house and put everything away and then went into the house and told their ‘dad’ that the bell was installed. The boys then went upstairs to get their showers. Phillip stayed back to tell his foster dad what his guitar instructor said about the electric guitar, and then went up to get his shower.

After their showers, the boys watched the time and by 11:45 they all got into a 6-seat golf cart and headed up to the Main Gate. “Dad’ Ken followed in the 4-seat golf cart, so all of the Covers were at the Main Gate to meet and greet their invited guests.

The boy’s regular friends were already arriving, and they headed over to the Pavilion. Some of them wanted to wait with their Cover friend, but Mr. Ken asked them to head over to the Pavilion, as with twenty new guests coming, and possibly their parents, it could get really crowded.

It was then that Jeffrey and his dad, Donald Jenkins, stopped by with the rest of the boy’s drum set. Mr. Ken told Donald Jenkins to drive right into the estate and head over to the Pavilion to off-load the drums to make it easier for them.

The new invitees began arriving as the Covers friends were also arriving. The original friend’s parents saw Mr. Ken up at the Main Gate and wanted to talk. But the man explained that his ‘sons’ had new friends coming, and he needed to meet them and their parents, and that he didn’t have time to talk right then. The parents were disappointed, but they understood and said that maybe they could talk later.

“‘Dad’, began Phillip, “I want you to meet Tony and Ty and their dads.” Then the foster boy realized what he said, and then he lowered his head and apologized to the man for what he said.

Mr. Ken ruffled the boy’s hair and told him, “Not to worry,” and he shook Tony’s hand, and then Ty’s and then introduced himself to the boys’ fathers.

But before Mr. Ken could get the fathers’ names, his other ‘sons’ began bringing their friends up to him, and began introducing them to him. The two dads just stepped aside and waited until they had a chance to talk to the man they just met.

Charles brought over Holly and Bristol and told his dad that they’d been there before, but that Kiera hadn’t. And just then a young lady called out Charles’ name

“Erin … I thought you weren’t going to be able to come over?” called out the teen Cover.

“Well … my dad … he called this morning and he talked to Mr. Ken and … well, here I am. And, this is my dad, Blaine, Blaine Walker,” offered a smiling Erin, as she introduced her dad to Charles and his dad, Ken Thomas.

“Welcome, to The Cove,” offered Mr. Ken, as he shook Blaine’s hand. “I’ll show you around some if you can wait, as I meet the other boys and girls my ‘sons’ invited over today.

Mr. Ken then took the time to meet Tony’s dad, Adrian Green, and Ty’s dad, Nash Bryant. He then told them that if they had some time he’d show them around The Cove, some, after all of the invited friends arrived. The two dads said they’d wait, and they talked with Blaine Walker as the three waited.

As Mr. Ken was greeting the Walkers, and the other new invited friends, the lifeguards were also coming to work. Mr. Ken saw Karson and told the teenager that he had his new lifeguard equipment in his office and either he, or Mr. Wayne, would get it to him later in the day. Karson thanked him and continued walking with the other guards.

Mr. Walker and the two dads asked about the lifeguards. It was then Mr. Ken told them that he’s hired the lifeguards the past three years to watch over his ‘sons’ and their friends, while they swim in his indoor pool, and out in the cove when the weather turns nice.

And the newly invited girls and boys kept arriving.

Matthew’s friend Bailey arrived and she had with her Matthew’s other invited friends, Kylie, Jade and Molly.

Phillip’s other invited friends Kurt and Travis, as well as Robert’s friends, Alice, Claire, Emily and MaryAnn all arrived at the Main Gate, and Mr. Ken said hello to all of them, before the Cover boys took them into the estate.

Billy had stayed back with his four female friends, and a few of their parents, when he saw his ‘brothers’ leading their friends up to Mr. Ken. He waited until Mr. Ken greeted all of the boys and girls, and then the older teenager brought his friends and their parents up to the Main Gate.

“Mr. Ken … I want you to meet the sophomore girls I invited over today. This is Elina, and this is Sadie and her mom, Sage Cook. And this is McKenna and her mom, Stella Nelson, and this is Chelsea. Ladies this is my foster dad, Mr. Ken Thomas,” finished Billy Dirketson.

“Welcome ladies to The Cove. I am happy that you could come over for the day. Billy will show you were to go, so just follow him. Moms … if you have some time and if you’ll join Mr. Walker and the other two gentlemen … I’ll give you a quick tour of the estate, since none of you have been here before,” offered Mr. Ken.

The Cover boys took their friends over to the Pavilion and showed them around. They already knew the other boys and girls their age there, and they all began talking to one another about what the new friends saw and what they could do there. Then some of them went out on the Cove Skate Park and tried it out.

Mr. Ken asked the five parents to sit in the 6-seat golf cart, that he commandeered from the boys, and drove them down to the bottom of the driveway and had them follow him over to the Patio. From there they could look down and over to the dock, and they could also see the Commander, the sailboats, Personal Water Craft, or WaveRunners, and the water toys out in the cove. There was also the lifeguard raft and tower seat for the guard to use to watch over the swimmers.

The owner of The Cove explained that when the lake’s water gets a bit warmer the boys and their friends would swim in the cove. He told them that they’d have fun on the water toys, drive the WaveRunners or take the sailboats out and have some fun sailing out on the lake. He further explained that the boys had to be thirteen and have passed the Texas Boater Safety Course before they could drive the WaveRunners. He added that they also had to have at least had some sailing lessons before they could take the sailboats out on the lake.

While Mr. Ken was showing the five parents around The Cove, Phillip was showing Ty, Tony, Travis and Kurt around the Pavilion, and the Cove Skate Park. The Cover explained what everything at the Pavilion was and how they could get a drink of their choice by just hitting the correct button on the drink machines.

Ty was interested in seeing Phillip’s new electric guitar, so the nine boys walked over to the now opened storage garage door, as Jeffrey and his dad had taken the rest of the drum set over there earlier. Then, as soon as Jeffrey got to the opened door, he sat down behind his drum set and began beating on his drums.

Ty had brought his guitar and brought it around off his back and tried to play something to Jeff’s beat. Westin then picked up his guitar and joined in. Not to be left out, Phillip plugged in his electric guitar, and he began playing right along. The four boys played something they all knew and they all had smiles as they did.

When they finished, Bryson told them they needed to play something he knew, so he could sing along with them. Ty asked him to bring up some music on his cell phone that he knew, and then let them hear it, so they could get the beat. Once Bryson had done that the boys began to play. Bryson listened to them play, and then looking at the words on the phone, he began to sing.

The boys didn’t play especially loud, but with them in the hollow of the storage garage their music focused out into the Pavilion, and the boys and girls out there heard them. The five boys were having fun and then Preston looked over Bryson’s shoulder and he joined in singing.

When they finished that song, Ty asked them to try another one. Bryson looked through his cell phone for another song, and he played it to let the band members get the beat. Phillip heard the chords and picked it up right away. He showed Ty and Weston which chords to play and the three tried it, and then Jeffrey picked up the beat. Soon the band was playing the song and before long Bryson and Preston were singing along.

The boys, but especially the girls, were enjoying the young band playing.

Billy, Robert and Charles’ invited girl classmates all said that they didn’t know they would have a live band playing, while they were there. The Cover teens told them that the band was their youngest ‘brother’ and his friends jamming together, and trying to make their band work. The girls were impressed, as were the boys’ own classmates, Kurt and Travis, who didn’t know their classmates were so talented.

After Mr. Ken had shown the parents the view off the Patio, he took them inside the house and showed them the indoor pool and then introduced them to the lifeguards. The owner of The Cove then showed the parents around the Great Room before heading outside to take the moms and dads up to the Pavilion and Cove Skate Park to show them those areas.

As the six adults arrived at the Pavilion, they heard music coming from somewhere, and it wasn’t until they walked closer to the Pavilion that they realized it was the young boys playing. Adrian Green, Ty’s dad, saw his son was playing along with the other boys, and that put a big smile on his face. Ty’s dad waved at his son, and the boy gave a big smile right back at his dad.

All six adults walked over to the storage garage and watched the boys play, and they all saw the big smiles on the boy’s faces. They stood there and listened to the boys play and sing and they thought for such young group they did pretty well. When their current song was over, Mr. Green went over to his son, Ty, and talked to him. Mr. Ken went over to Phillip and talked to him, too.

Mr. Ken thanked all the boys for playing and singing, but then told them that they needed to get out there and have some fun before the barbeque started, and that Phillip needed to show his friends around the estate some, since they hadn’t been there before.

Phillip gathered his invited friends and asked them if they wanted to see his room, and what the inside of the house looked like. Ty, Tony, Kurt and Travis were all smiles when they heard that they would get to see what many people never would, and said that they would definitely like to do that. Phillip and all his friends followed him, as they walked down to the house, as they were too many for the Cover to drive them there on a golf cart.

At the garage door, the new boys saw the Cover enter a code on the cypher lock to enter the house. They asked if all the doors had them. Phillip told them that only that door, the door to the storage room at the Pavilion, and the storage garage had them. He added that he could have used his thumb print to open that lock, too. Phillip then laughed. When his friends asked why those, the young Cover told them with so many of them it was easier to remember the numbers than to have to carry keys around with you that you could lose.

As they entered the house, Phillip showed the boys the inside of the four-car garage and then they walked into the pots and pan storage area just before the Kitchen Nook. The new boys couldn’t believe the size of that area and then the size of the Kitchen Nook where Momma Maria cooked, and the Covers ate all of their meals. The boys loved the view out of the large picture window that looked out over the lake.

Phillip then took the boys up the back staircase. When they got to the top of the stairs, Preston told them that they had to see the inside of the bathroom. The four new boys were now curious as to why and when they looked in, they were just as surprised, as Preston and Bryson were, when they first saw that there were two porcelain urinals there for the boys to use.

“Why do you have these here?” asked Tony.

“My ‘brothers’ … they call them the ‘Porcelain Gods’,” laughed Phillip. “And, well … having them … they sort of make it easier to pee in the morning, when you have your ahh … your … morning friend,” laughed Phillip. The boys all laughed at what the Cover said.

Phillip showed Ty, Tony, Kurt and Travis his room, and the four boys were surprised at the size of the room. Phillip explained that the room was designed for two, but right now he was the only one using it.

Travis asked if any of the other boys shared their rooms. Phillip told them that he only knew that when the twins lived there that they shared the room, because they wanted to, not because there wasn’t a room available. Kurt asked who the twins were. Phillip said he’d never met them. But it was Ty who nudged the boy and reminded him that it was the twins, Kevin and Kyle, who were at their school. Kurt then said that he now remembered them.

The Cover took the boys down the front stairs and showed them the MRS Room, and then had them look over the glass banister onto the Great Room. Mr. Wayne heard some people out there and came out of the Study to see who it was.

“Oh, hi, Mr. Wayne, these are my four friends, who I invited over today. I’m giving Tony, Kurt, Travis and Ty the nickel tour, as Mr. Ken calls it,” explained Phillip.

Travis whispered to Phillip, “Whose he?”

“Guys … Mr. Wayne … he’s the Estate Master. He takes care of us when Mr. Ken’s away. He takes us to our appointments, and he does other things around The Cove. He’s also my foster dad’s right-hand man,” offered the young Cover, with a smile.

“Mr. Wayne … can I show them the Study, since you’re here?” asked Phillip.

Mr. Wayne showed the boys the Study. Phillip explained that it was where they met almost every night, after dinner, and talked about what happened during the day, and what was planned for the next few days, or weeks. The youngster continued and told the boys how nice it was to know what was going on in the future, and not be told a few minutes before your mom tells you you’re going to the mall, or the grocery store. The boys all laughed at the last example.

Phillip thanked Mr. Wayne for letting his friends see the Study, and then he led them down the stairs to the Great Room. There the young Cover showed his friends the Theater, the half-bath, the bar area and then the party restrooms, which the friends couldn’t believe their size. Bryson told them that they were actually built under the MRS Room upstairs and also out into the ground to give them all that space.

The boys next stop was the indoor pool. When the four invited friends entered the area, they were flabbergasted at the size of the pool. Phillip told them that after they eat, they can come down here and swim, with the rest of the boys and girls. Ty said he’d rather play like they did earlier.

The other three boys, Tony, Kurt and Travis, asked where would they change into their swimsuits. Preston told them there was a Men’s Locker Room, and the nine boys walked in that direction. Travis then asked if they had to change in front of all the other boys, when he saw it was a wide-open area.

Bryson told him that there was a simple way to change and not be too embarrassed, and that they’d show them when it came time to swim. Tony asked Bryson if he’s changed there when the older boys were also changing. Preston spoke up and said they did, and that they got to see how big the older boy’s ‘equipment’ was.

“Equipment? What’s that?” quickly asked Kurt.

Phillip spoke up and told the new boys that the way he heard it was that it was a name given a long time ago, when Mr. Ken had his first big swim party, and a very young boy told his mom that they all had the same ‘equipment’, meaning their dick and balls. The boys all laughed.

The Cover then took the boys outside to the Patio, so they could look out over the dock and the cove. Phillip explained to them what they were seeing and that when the lake water warmed up, he told them he would be able to climb on the water toys and play the King of the Raft game his ‘brothers’ created a few years back.

Ty asked the Cover if he would be able to drive the WaveRunners, or sail the sailboats. But Phillip told the boy that everyone has to be at least thirteen and have passed the Texas Boater Safety Course to drive the WaveRunners, and had taken sailing lessons to sail the sailboats. Hearing that disappointed all of the boys.

Phillip looked at the time and proposed that they all head back to the Pavilion so Ty, Tony, Kurt and Travis could use the Cove Skate Park, before the cooks begin to prepare the barbeque. That suggestion caused the four invited boys to ask what he meant by the barbeque.

Bryson told the four invited boys that every time they are there, the older boys cook hamburgers and hot dogs, while other boys set up the serving line and prepare the tomatoes, lettuce and onions. Preston added that it usually happened between two and three o’clock, and when everything is cleaned up, they can then go swimming.

Travis said that he’d like to try out the Cove Skate Park, as he’s heard so much about it, and he wants to know how good it really is. Kurt agreed with his classmate, and so did Tony. So, with that said, Phillip told the boys to follow him and they walked back up to the Pavilion.

When the nine boys returned to the Pavilion, they saw that many of the boys and girls were either out skating, or playing the four big games – beanbag toss, toppling timbers, connect-four and washers – that were bought for the boys to play, when they were bored, or it was raining.

The five parents who were given a shortened nickel tour by Mr. Ken, were all gone by the time the nine boys returned to the Pavilion. Even Mr. Ken was not up at the Pavilion. Kurt, Tony and Travis hurried to retrieve their skateboards, and they jumped out on the Cove Skate Park.

Ty, said he didn’t want to skate, so he asked the other boys if they could play together some more. Phillip liked playing as a group, too, so he was all for it. Westin thought what they did earlier was fun and Jeffrey now had his entire drum set there, and he was all for jamming some more, too. So, the four boys headed to the storage garage to start playing some more. Of course, Byson and Preston followed along.

The makeshift band picked up where they left off earlier. They began playing and Bryson sang along, and even Phillip and Preston joined in. While they played, the barbeque team began getting the hamburgers and hot dogs out and starting cooking, while the other members of the team began setting up the serving line.

Billy and his friends were enjoying having the four female classmates there. They were out on the Cove Skate Park watching them skate and giving them pointers on how they could do some things better. The girls were enjoying all the attention they were getting.

Robert and his friends were also helping their four female classmates skate better, as was Charles and his friends helping Erin and Kiera, who’d never been to The Cove before, and were truly amazed at what they saw.

Matthew’s friend, Molly, who said she didn’t skate very well, took advantage of her male classmates and a few of the older boys to let them help her out on the Cove Skate Park. She thought Matthew was kidding her when he told her that some of the older boys might help her, but she didn’t expect anything like the attention she was getting.

Tony, Kurt and Travis, Phillip’s classmates, who he invited over that Saturday, were having a good time out on the Cove Skate Park. They had heard how smooth the surface was, and now they were getting their own opportunity to find out for themselves.

They had also heard about the different obstacles the Cove Skate Park had and now they were not only seeing the half-pipe, handrail, funbox, vert ramp, as well as the stairstep, quarter pipe, banked ramp, two bowls and a few other objects, but they were now getting the opportunity to test their skating ability on them all. They were very happy Phillip had invited them over for the day. Their only regret was that they didn’t get to know him sooner.

As everyone was having a fine time at The Cove that Saturday, the barbeque team got into gear. They heated the grill and when it was hot, they began cooking the hamburgers. They would wait until the end to heat the hot dogs, as they didn’t take all that long to cook.

While the barbeque team was cooking, Phillip and his friends were playing away and the assembled teens and young boys and girls were enjoying their music.

Phillip was watching the cooks and when he thought it might be time to ring the dinner bell, he stopped playing and went over to the lead cooks, Brett and Cody, and asked them when they wanted to call everyone over to eat. The Cover explained that he wanted to ring the new dinner bell, as it had been his idea to have them.

Cody told the youngster that when he saw them put the hot dogs on the gill it would be time, as they all knew they didn’t take no time at all to heat up. Phillip thanked him for that and said he’d keep watching and then he was going to ring the new bell.

It wasn’t more than ten minutes later, when Phillip saw Brett and Cody begin to cook the hot dogs. So, the boy went over to the new bell on the 6×6 post, grabbed the rope and began ringing the dinner bell.

The girls heard the bell ringing and asked if there was a school nearby. The boys laughed and said that it was the dinner bell, and that they could head over to the Pavilion to have some hamburgers and hot dogs. The girls said they didn’t have any money, but the boys told them that they were the Cover’s guests today and, besides that, no one ever pays to eat at The Cove.

Billy called Mr. Ken to tell him that the burgers were well burnt, and the dogs were hot. Mr. Ken said he’d heard the dinner bell and that he and Mr. Wayne would soon be up there. The man told Billy to make sure the invited guests went first.

Billy went over to the Pavilion and called out to everyone that their guests were to go through the line first, and that Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne would be up there soon.

When Eliana got in line she called out to Billy and asked if she could get her bun toasted. Then Chelsea asked if there was any cheese, and maybe some bacon to make a bacon cheeseburger.

Billy asked Eliana to go over to Brett and Cody and ask them to toast her bun, and he then asked Robert if there was any cheese and maybe bacon left over from the sleepover. Robert said he’d go and look in the refrigerator.

A few moments later, Robert came out of the storage room with some Swiss and American cheeses and pre-cooked bacon that needed to be heated. Billy asked his ‘brother’ to bring the cheese to the serving table, and to see if the cooks could warm the bacon.

The other girls, hearing there was now cheese they could put on the hamburger and soon there would be bacon, too, waited in the line. Some of the boys went around them, but the other boys liked the idea of having cheeseburgers, as well, so they waited for Robert to place the two cheeses on the serving line. Some of the boys also wanted some bacon strips, too.

Brett and Cody heated the bacon strips across the grates of the grill. And since the bacon was already pre-cooked, it didn’t take long for the bacon to get hot, since the grill was quite hot from all the burgers and hot dogs they just cooked.

Eliana and Chelsea thanked Brett for the hot bacon, when he brought it over. Eliana also thanked Cody for toasting her bun, and then to two sophomore girls quickly put their hamburgers together, and then they found an empty table. Billy went over to them and told them they could go to either of the drink machines and select a drink by just pushing the numbers, or by pushing the selection button.

All the girls heard what Billy said and after they fixed their burger, they all went and selected something from the many different types of drinks in the two machines.

“Phillip … I can’t believe you have two soda machines, and they are filled with sodas, flavored waters, diet sodas and just plain water,” commented Kurt. “This has got to be one of the most awesome places to come to.”

“And it doesn’t cost anyone any money,” added Travis, with a smile.

Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne were up at the Pavilion by then and they heard what the boys said and they also were surprised that the girls had asked if there was cheese and bacon available to make cheeseburgers. The two men took advantage of those two new items on the serving line, and they also make themselves bacon cheeseburgers.

Phillip and his friends were sitting at one of the bigger tables and Tony told the Cover, “Phillip, you are so lucky to be living here. You have this great skate park, that indoor pool and those boats and things in the cove that you will get to use, when the lake water warms up.”

Phillip looked over at Tony and, after a few moments of thinking, he replied, “Yea, I guess you’re right. I am lucky to be living here. My ‘brothers’ told me about some of the other places they lived, before they came to The Cove. But … you know what? I think I’d rather be still living with my mom.”

The eight boys heard what their Cover friend said, and the way he said it, and they knew what Tony said must have hit a nerve in their friend, as the Cover turned his head away after he responded to Tony. They all could tell he had some tears sliding down his cheeks.

Preston indicated to Tony that he needed to make things right, so the boy went around the table and he could see that Phillip was crying.

“Phil, I … I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything about your being a foster boy. I … I just meant that you have all this …,” and Tony was stopped by Phillip.

“I knew what you meant, Tony. It’s just that … well I love everything about The Cove, but … but I miss my … my mom,” answered Phillip. “Guys … it’s been six weeks since my mom was … since she was attacked, and she … and she doesn’t seem to be getting better.

“Mr. Ken … he’s supposed to talk to her doctor next week, so … so he can tell me if she is getting better. That way I can, you know, look forward to us living together again. Mr. Ken … he told me that he thought that maybe after the 4^th of July we might be back together, but her injuries … they were worse than they thought. So, my foster dad …he doesn’t know when I’ll get to live with my mom again,” finished a somber Phillip Girroads.

Phillips friends gathered around him to try to console him. Mr. Ken saw what the boys were doing, so he walked over to the group to find out what was going on.

“Excuse me fellas. Is there something going on here that maybe I should know about?” asked the foster dad.

Phillip looked up to his foster dad and told him that there wasn’t anything going on. He added that it was just that Tony said something, and he was telling them that his mom wasn’t getting any better, and he probably wouldn’t be going back to living with her very soon.

Mr. Ken pulled the young boy up from his seat and hugged him. Then the foster dad said to his foster son, “Phillip …the doctors … they’re doing their best, and it takes time for the types of injuries your mom has to heal. Please give it time, son. And, boys … you being there for him is what he needs right now.

“Look … the barbeque is just about put away. Why don’t you all head down to the pool, get ahead of the older boys, and change into your swimsuits. And Phillip … your new friends … they’ll need to pass the swim test before they can swim anywhere in the pool. You may have to wait for you older ‘brothers’ to arrive before they can swim, though,” offered Mr. Ken.

Tony, Kurt and Travis were eager to go swimming. But Ty, he wanted to go back playing his guitar with the band. But Phillip, he told Ty he invited them over, so they could enjoy some of what The Cove had to offer, and they already used the Cove Skate Park, and ate at the barbeque and now it was time to swim. So, the Cover told them to get their swimsuits and for them to hurry, so they could change without the older boys in the locker room.

Reluctantly, Ty got his bag, with his swimsuit and towel, and he joined the other eight boys as they headed down to the house and ultimately the indoor pool. When they arrived at the pool, Phillip had Preston and Bryson help him gather all the swimsuits and towels from the industrial dryers in order to take them to the locker room, so all the boys had them there. The other four boys went along to see what they were doing.

As soon as Phillip, Preston, Bryson, Weston and Jeff had their swimsuits, the nine boys went into the Men’s Locker Room to change. Preston told the four new boys to watch what they did, and to do it and to hurry, as the older boys would soon be there.

Ty, Tony, Kurt and Travis couldn’t believe the five other boys, after taking their shoes and socks off, turned to face the wall, then dropped their shorts and underwear and then slipped on their swimsuits, while still wearing their shirts.

“Do we got to do that?” asked Travis.

“Yes, and hurry it up,” announced Weston. “Look, did you see anything when we did it? I’m sure you looked.”

It was Ty who spoke up and said he didn’t see anything that he wanted to see, but he added he didn’t understand what they did. Weston told him that they took their shoes and socks off and then turned to face the wall and then dropped their shorts and underwear and then they slipped on their swimsuits. Then the boy said that was when they took their shirts off.

Ty shrugged his shoulders and did what Weston told him they’d done. The boy sat down, took his shoes and socks off, then he stood up and turned to face the wall and then dropped his shorts and underwear and then slipped on his swimsuit and then took his shirt off.

“Come on you three; it was easy. Now hurry it up,” teased Ty.

Just as Tony, Kurt and Travis dropped their shorts and underwear, a few of the older boys came into the Men’s Locker room. The three boys quickly put on their swimsuits and then took off their shirts. Phillip then told them to follow him, and he’d show them where to store their clothes.

Just as the nine boys were putting their clothes in a locker, Robert came by. Phillip stopped him and told him that his four friends needed to pass the swim test, and so the youngster asked his older ‘brother’ if he would give it to them since they were ready.

Robert wanted to get changed himself, but he figured the locker room would be crowded since the Women’s Locker Room would be used by the girls. So, the Cover teen asked the four new boys if they could swim and, learning that they could, he asked them to go to the side of the pool, so he could give them the swim test.

The four boys jumped in and before long they all had swum to the other side. Robert told him to go have fun with his buddies, and then the teen Cover headed into the Men’s Locker Room to change into his swimsuit.

Weston convinced the new boys to try the jumping edge first. He showed the four boys that it wasn’t all that high, so they shouldn’t have any problem jumping off. It was when they got to the top that they all balked at jumping off. Weston showed them how easy it was, and so did Phillip, Preston, Bryson and Jeff.

Ty figured there was something strange about the way Weston claimed it wasn’t all that high, so he just jumped off. He was caught by surprise that it actually was higher than it looked from when he was down on the pool deck. But Ty figure he’d trick the other three boys into jumping, too. And they did. Ty laughed at them.

After the three boys complained how Ty tricked them, Phillip told them to get over it and get up there and do it again. All nine boys jumped again.

By then, the rest of the boys and girls had gotten changed and were out in the pool. Billy and Robert gave the girls the same swim test Phillip’s friends had taken, to show that everyone had to pass it before they could swim in Mr. Ken’s pool.

The lifeguards asked the large group if they wanted to play some games. The girls were all for it, so the boys naturally joined in with them. The lifeguards had twenty extra swimmers that day, which would make the games either more interesting, or a bust. But they decided to try anyway.

The first game the lifeguards decided to have them play was the Walk Backwards Game. It was the simplest and the one where everyone would have some fun at the other swimmer’s expense.

The lifeguards broke the group into five teams and mixed the teams with different sized and aged swimmers, as well as boys and girls. The guards had the Cover boys go first to show the new guests how the game worked and from there the game was on. And on it was. The noise the players made was so loud that Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne had to go down to the pool area to see what was happening.

When they arrived, they laughed that the guards had gotten the large group to play the Walk Backwards Game, and the girls had gotten into it. Their shrill voices along with the younger boys made the noise that much louder. The whole group was having a fun time watching the boy, or girl, trying to walk straight, but especially couldn’t when they tried to walk backwards.

With so many on a team it took quite some time for the game to be over. But the girls didn’t care, as they were having lots of fun, even though they were with a whole lot of different age groups. The lifeguards asked if they wanted to play another game, but this time the boys prevailed and said they just wanted to swim and talk.

Phillip and his friends took advantage of the older boys talking to the girls, as they went into the Men’s Locker Room and changed back into their street clothes. Phillip collected Preston, Bryson, Jeffry, and Weston’s swimsuits and towels, and took them to the dryer. The other boys asked why he couldn’t take theirs. Phillip told them it was because they wouldn’t be back after today. That disappointed the four newly invited friends.

When the boys were all dressed and ready, the band players went back up to the storage garage and began to play. With the three boys on guitars and the full set of drums, their sound was strong. The only problem they realized they had, was that none of the boys were playing a bass guitar. But they were happy they were playing together; something none of them had any idea they would ever do again, especially there at The Cove.

As the boys played, the others began to arrive back at the Pavilion to either play the large games, or to skate some more, before it was time to leave for the day. Some of the girls just wanted to sit and talk to the boys about the different things they did out in the cove, when they swam out there.

Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne drove up to the Pavilion when they saw it was getting close to six o’clock, and knew the boys and girls would begin leaving. They knew that some of the parents might also want to talk to them, and it would be best to be up at the Main Gate.

It was a bit difficult for the girls to leave, as they were having such a good time with so many boys and girls of many ages at The Cove that day. They never knew what it would be like to be invited to a place like The Cove, and be immersed with so many different age groups, and still have loads of fun. They all knew it had been a special day that they would remember for quite some time.

All the boys walked the girls over to the Main Gate. Phillip made sure he walked his invited fiends over there as well, just in case their parents were there, and wanted to talk to him and or Mr. Ken.

It was while he was walking over to the Main Gate that Phillip thought to ask his foster dad if Ty could come back tomorrow, so they could all play in the band again. So, the young Cover headed over to Mr. Ken and as soon as the man saw his foster son approach, he reminded the boy that he was not to ask him any questions in front of his friends.

Phillip hadn’t said anything to Ty about coming back tomorrow, so he told his foster dad that he would talk to him later at dinner. Mr. Ken said that it would be a good time to do so.

Mr. Ken said goodbye to the newly invited boys and girls. Some of the parents who were there to collect their child, thanked the man for allowing their girl, or boy, to come to the Cove. The parents who’d received a shortened tour of The Cove thanked him even more for the opportunity to see a part of the house, that many never get to see.

The parents who just dropped off their newly invited child were disappointed to hear that the other parents got some a special tour, and they were now wishing that they had stayed and met Mr. Thomas, too.

The Cover’s primary friends’ parents, saw that there were many new parents faces that Saturday evening, so they decided they really didn’t need to talk to Mr. Ken that time. They knew they could talk to him at almost any time, and that next Saturday they would all be at the Memorial Day Picnic, and could talk to him then.

It took longer than normal for the traffic jam to unravel in front of the Main Gate that evening. That was, of course, because of the twenty, or so, new faces who’d come to The Cove that day and the parents wanting to thank the owner of The Cove.

But before long, the Covers had regrouped, when all their guests were gone, and they were soon heading out the Main Gate themselves to go to dinner. The Four Corners Diner would be their eating place for that evening, where they would also talk about the day’s events, and how well it did or didn’t go.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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