Published: 20 Feb 2025

From the Previous Chapter:

The biggest issue all the boys talked about before going to bed was the naming of their newest resident pet. They all commented that they wished they could have chosen the new pup’s name tonight. However, ‘dad’ Ken told all of them he figured it would take a long time, with the five of them giving names, and with the eventual discussion that would obviously occur, that he didn’t want to have a prolonged meeting that night.

The boys accepted his explanation, and they all loved the hugs he gave them before he departed their room for one of their ‘brothers’. And, before long, The Cove was quiet with everyone, including Chief and her young family of five pups, sound asleep.

Friday morning, while they ate their Momma breakfast, the two younger boys were still talking about what they wanted to name the new resident pet. ‘Dad’ Ken listened to the names from behind his newspaper, and smiled at some of the names the two had come up with. A few of them, he knew, were the boys trying to see what funny names between them they could come up with.

Momma Maria listened to the two boys call out the names, and she would shake her head hoping that they wouldn’t call the new puppy Muggsy, Sir Barks-a-lot, Scooby-Doo, Poochie, Peter Pan, or even Bubba. The woman prayed her employer would be a man of reason, and not let the boys choose a name that didn’t befit the young pup.

At the office that morning, Mr. Ken sat down with his President of TFE and asked him if he had the chance to talk to his family about his plans to visit all of the amusement parks before the Holidays.

Ben smiled and told his boss that his family was all for going with him, when he visited the five parks. He told Mr. Ken that they all wanted to see what the parks looked like, even if it was going to be a fast-paced trip. The man added that his daughter, Ryleigh, complained that Rylan got to go, and now she wanted to see what was there.

Ben laughed as he continued, “Now get this. Rylan … he told his sister that he only got to see one park, and that he had to ‘work’, while he was there. The boy laid it on thick that he was working his buns off, and that he really didn’t get to see everything, when he was at Edgewood.”

Both men laughed because they knew what Rylan and Charles did for the Grand Opening of the Edgewood Amusement Park, soon to be known as Adventure Forest, when it opens next season. They both knew that Charles, having been there a couple of days before Rylan arrived, knew his way around, as well as the ride operators, and took the teenager to all of the best rides and got him on them without having to wait in line.

Ben then told Mr. Ken that he and his wife would pick their kids up from school early that Friday and would fly out and their first stop would be Fantasy Fun Park that Saturday, with Mountain Top on Sunday and then Discovery Kingdom on Monday.

Mr. Ken asked Ben if his family was ready for the grueling weekend they were in for. Ben told the owner of the parks that his family knew what they had signed up for, yet they all wanted to see what the parks were made up of. The President of TFE revealed that they would fly out early that evening of the park’s visit to arrive at the next park to visit, just as he does with his ‘family’, and, on Monday evening, they would be flying home.

Mr. Ken then asked Ben if his family was ready for tomorrow and to take on raising their new puppy. The man said the children couldn’t wait until tomorrow, when they got to choose which puppy would be theirs. Ken then asked what they were going to do with their puppy, while they were gone for three days.

That question caught Ben totally off guard. Ben was honest and admitted that he hadn’t thought that far out. Ken told him not to worry, and that they could drop their puppy off with him and that Chief, and their pup would probably enjoy the reunion. Ben profusely thanked his boss for offering to do that for them.

Ben then told his boss that after their exhausting three-day weekend visiting three amusement parks, he might be visiting Crystal Lake and Edgewood by himself in November, as his wife and daughter might not like the harried pace.

The president did add that he felt that Rylan would still want to go. He beamed that his son has gotten the bug about amusement parks, and wants to be involved again with them, if we ever do something like we did at Edgewood. The President of TFE continued by mentioning that his son enjoyed working alongside Charles, and hoped he could work with him again at a park.

Mr. Ken told Ben that Charles wants to study how to manage theme parks, when he goes off to college, and when he’s old enough he wants to go and work with Jason to learn from the ground up. He confessed that he’ll probably let his son work at Four Corners first, and then when he’s seventeen he’d let the boy go off for the summer, and work at Adventure Forest.

The President of TFE then asked his boss if he thought Charles would sit down with Rylan some time, and talk to him about his plans for college, because he thinks his son might want to go in that same direction.

The owner of the amusement parks told Ben to pull Charles aside on Saturday, and see what he says. The man added that the two boys might not have any time to talk, with the selection of the puppy taking center stage. but there is lots of time that they could do that as Charles is only a freshman this year. Ben thanked the man, said that he would, and then headed back to his own office.

At school that morning Phillip talked to his friends, and told them that tomorrow they would be giving away four of the remaining puppies, and then they would be naming their puppy. The Cover also mentioned some of the names that he and Matthew were talking about at breakfast that morning. That made his bandmates laugh.

Bryce then asked the bandmates if they had been thinking of any new names for the band. When none of them had any new names for the band, they all hung their heads knowing they needed a name, and soon. Phillip quickly spoke up and told everyone to bring their ideas tomorrow when they come to practice.

At the high school, the Cover boys coordinated with their rides for tonight’s football game. Even Billy found a ride with Lonnie, who didn’t work that night. Billy texted Mr. Ken that he would be going to the football game with Lonnie, whose dad would pick him up around 5:30. Mr. Ken texted him back and told him that he’d see him before he and his ‘brothers’ left for the game.

Mr. Ken then called Momma to let her know that the three teenagers would be going to the football game that night and would be leaving The Cove around 5:30, and he asked her to fix something simple, like soup and sandwiches. Momma thanked the man for calling her, so she didn’t have to fix a large meal for them tonight.

When Matthew and Phillip returned home from school, they didn’t smell the usual wonderful aromas of what Momma was cooking for dinner that night. As they ate their afterschool snack, the two Covers wondered what that was all about. When they finished their snack, they hugged Momma for fixing their treats, and then headed up to their rooms to do any weekend homework they had.

When the teenagers came home from school, Momma told them that she didn’t have a snack ready for them, because they would be eating dinner early due to their going to the football game. So, the three teens headed up to their rooms to drop off their books, and wait until it was time for dinner.

When Phillip heard his older ‘brothers’ come up the stairs, and pass by his room, he decided to try to talk to them about their three-day trip with their ‘dad’, and why they went where they did. He also wanted to get them to help him figure out where he should go on his three-day trip with his ‘dad’.

Billy, Robert and Charles were in Robert’s room talking about the night’s football game when Phillip knocked on the doorframe.

“Ahh, can I ask you, ahh, to tell me about what you did, you know, on your three-day trip with ‘dad’? He told me that I should kinda talk to you guys, so that I can get … so, I can get an idea of what you all did. You know, where there is to go and … and what there is to do there, so I can decide where I want to go,” stammered out the young Cover.

The three teens chuckled at the way Phillip asked them to tell him where and what they did on their three day-trip with ‘dad’ Ken. Billy was going to talk first, because he’d just done his, however, Charles spoke up and recommended that they do them in the order that they went. Robert agreed, and after a few back-and-forth discussions between the three teens, that’s what they did.

And since Robert was the first one who went on a trip with their ‘dad’, he decided to tell Phillip about his trip before the others. All along, Matthew heard the loud talking coming from Robert’s room, so he decided to go over there to find out what it was all about.

Upon learning that the older boys were going to tell Phillip about their three-day trips, he reminded them that he went on a three-day trip with their ‘dad’, too, and he wanted to tell their youngest ‘brother’ what he did, as well. The teenagers told him to have a seat.

“Phil … I had been on many trips before,” began Robert, “but this was my first one with my new foster dad. He decided to take me down to Galveston and Houston. We flew down to Houston’s Hobby Airport and a limousine drove us to this very nice hotel. After getting settled, we went out to dinner, and then after we got back to the hotel, he asked me if I wanted an ice cream.

“I didn’t think there was an ice cream store nearby, as I didn’t see one, as we drove up to the hotel. But my dad, well, Mr. Ken at the time, hinted that there was a service station right next door. So, the two of us walked about two blocks to the gas station, and when we walked inside, they had this big freezer full of different ice cream treats. That was fun, as I got to eat two.

“The next day my dad, well, he wasn’t my dad yet, took me down to Seawolf Park, located just outside of Galveston. On the way there, he told me they had a destroyer and a submarine we were going to get to walk all over. I never had so much fun seeing what that destroyer had on her, and reading about what she did during the war.

“On the destroyer, I got to sit on the guns and turn the handles and make them go up and down and around. I got to see where the depth charges would roll off the back, if they were trying to sink a sub. I walked all over that ship, but the inside wasn’t open to the public yet.

“Then we went over to the submarine, the USS Cavalla, I think it was called, which was named for a saltwater fish. The submarine, I learned, sank a Japanese aircraft carrier during World War II, and was a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack. Once I got on there, I got to see where they shot the torpedoes from, where the men ate, slept, went to the bathroom, and I got to touch almost everything. You have to go there and see what all there is to see on a WWII submarine.

“After that, the limo driver, he took us to a place called Moody Gardens, where they have an Aquarium, a Rainforest, a 3D Theater, a 4D Special Effects Theater, and a Discovery area each located in one of three huge pyramids. That was a lot of fun too. I’d never been to an aquarium like that one and they had hands-on exhibits that I got to touch and play with.

“In the 10-story rainforest pyramid they had this butterfly enclosure, where the butterflies would land on you. That was so awesome, too. But the rainforest pyramid was also kept at 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 95 percent humidity. Boy was that ever uncomfortable to be in.

“The next day dad took me to the San Jacinto Battleground Site where the Texan troops under General Sam Houston achieved the independence of Texas, by defeating a Mexican Army led by General Lopez de Santa Anna, back in 1836. They have a 570-foot tower that we went up and I got to see the whole battlefield area from up there. From up there I also got to see our next stop, the Battleship Texas.

“After coming down off the tower, we walked over to the Battleship Texas. Wow, when we got there, I told my dad that the battleship was a ‘boy’ magnet. Me telling you about it won’t do it justice, you’ll just have to Google it and look for yourself. But boy was that ever-fun walking all over it, and seeing how the sailors lived on it during World War I and II. I also got to sit on some of the guns and operate them.

“After that the limo driver took us up to Kemah Boardwalk. My dad wanted me to ride the Boardwalk Bullet, which is a wooden roller coaster. But it rained and we didn’t get to ride it that day, so the next day on the way back to the airport, the limo driver took us back to Kemah to see if we could ride that coaster.

“When we got there, they were testing the coaster, so we waited to see if it would open. Then when it did, I wasn’t too sure if I really wanted to ride it, as I never really rode anything like that. But my dad …he had me in the seat, and we were on the way up the first hill before I knew it, and it was too late to get off.

“I was so scared as we went over the top that I never enjoyed the ride until it was almost over. When we were walking down the exit, I asked my dad if we could ride it again, so I could enjoy it. He laughed at me, but we did ride the Boardwalk Bullet again, and that’s how I got to love roller coasters,” finished Robert.

Charles waited until it was his turn and then went next. He recounted how he and his dad drove down to the General Aviation section of the San Antonio International Airport for their trip to Dallas.

“What’d you do there?” quickly asked Phillip.

“My dad, well, understand, he wasn’t my dad back then, he had me decide where I wanted to go, just as he is asking you to do. So, after talking with Robert and Eric about what they saw down in Galveston, and even Mr. Dan, I decided I wanted to go to a Rangers baseball game, Six Flags Over Texas, the Dallas World Aquarium and Speed Zone,” replied Charles.

“Why did you talk with Eric and Mr. Dan?” asked Phillip, interrupting Charles’ train of thought. “And, I didn’t know that Eric lived here and was one of his foster sons.”

Robert quickly spoke up and answered Phillip’s question about Eric. The teenager told the younger Cover that it was a long story, but suffice to say that Eric went on trips with his dad and Collin, before he ever arrived at The Cove.

Charles thanked his brother for saying that, and then continued his story.

“Phillip, well, you see, Mr. Dan … he was staying at The Cove, during that time,” began the teenager, “and he knew that I was having to decide where I wanted to go for my three-day trip, and he gave me some ideas of what was up in the Dallas/Fort Worth areas that I could do.”

“But why was Mr. Dan staying at The Cove?” now asked Phillip, again interrupting Charles.

“Mr. Dan,” spoke up Robert, “he’d been wounded in the line-of-duty, and my dad … he had him come to The Cove and recover here.”

“Wow. Lots of things happen here, and if you didn’t live here; you’d never know,” commented Phillip.

“Anyway,” continued Charles, “my dad … he figured we’d go up on a Tuesday and go to a Rangers baseball game, and if it rained, we’d go to the game either on Wednesday or Thursday, since they played at home those three days. We stayed at the La Quinta hotel, which was right across from Six Flags Over Texas. Oh, and our room; it looked out over to the park.

“It didn’t rain that Tuesday, so we went to the game, and it was a great barn burner for sure. The Rangers won in the bottom of the ninth inning, on a home run, no less. Then afterwards, we ate at a restaurant that I’d never eaten at called Cracker Barrel. They had all these different meals like country fried steak, meatloaf, turkey and dressing, fish, and lots of different chicken dinners. It sure was different, and I had a difficult time choosing what I wanted to eat.

“The next day we went to the amusement park, Six Flags Over Texas, and the first thing my dad got us was their Platinum Flash Pass, which is like his Fastest Pass. Phil … that was the first time I was ever at an amusement park, and my dad suggested that we start at the simple rides, and work our way up, so that’s what we did.

“We did this indoor 4D ride first where we had these glasses on, and shot some sort of laser guns at the bad guys. Then, instead of going on a big coaster right away, dad led me to this runaway mine train coaster, which was a lot of fun. From there, we rode different rides and during the day we rode bigger and bigger roller coasters. And by the end of the day, I was hooked on coasters, and ever since we’ve been going to his parks, I now want to go to college to learn how to one day be a park operations manager.”

“You just want to run Three Finger Entertainment,” joked Matthew.

“Well, someone needs to take over when he gets too old,” now laughed Charles, and everyone joined in on the joke.

“The following day, the chauffeur took us to the Dallas World Aquarium. That was a neat place. The first half of the aquarium showcased birds, crocodiles, bats and other animals and then the second half had the sea creatures. We spent about four hours there, and from there we traveled to a place called Speed Zone.

“Phil … let me tell you about Speed Zone; it was a blast. It had all these different race tracks, and I got to try them all. One track was like you were in a dragster, where you raced down this straight track against a bunch of other drivers. I never won because I didn’t know how to shift the car.

“There was a race track like dad has over at Four Corners, and that was fun and they had a smaller track that was just an oval track that was pretty fast. But the best race track was what they called the Slick Trax with an ‘X’. Phil … that race track was somewhat oval, however it was very large and it was glass-like smooth. So, when you went round the corners you sort of slid your car around instead of steering. Doing that was so much fun!

“We finished the day by playing some Speedway Golf, you know miniature golf, and then we ate at their restaurant called Johnny Rockets before being driven to the airport for our flight back home. I never had a trip like that, ever. Matter-of-fact I was never out of the area and doing that trip with my dad made it so special for me, and, of course, it was so much fun,” finished the teen Cover.

As Charles finished telling of his three-day trip, Robert decided to tell Phillip about what the twins did for their three-day trip with Mr. Ken, since they no longer lived at The Cove. The teenager told his younger ‘brother’ that Kevin and Kyle had decided to let their ‘dad’ take them to Houston and attend a Houston Rockets basketball game.

The teen recalled how the twins, after school on Friday, at the start of the three-day weekend, went over to Houston and watched the Houston Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs. The teen continued and told Phillip that the next day, Saturday, they then visited the Houston Zoo and then the downtown Aquarium.

The teenager recounted the twins were the only Covers who ever went to the Houston Zoo and the downtown Aquarium, and when they came back, they told them that the aquarium wasn’t anything like what Moody Gardens had, which they saw on Sunday along with the Battleship Texas. Robert quipped that the twins felt the downtown Aquarium was a waste of ‘dads’ money to go there. The boys all laughed.

When it was Matthew’s turn, he told his younger ‘brother’ that for his three-day trip he also went to a basketball game, but that he did his up in Dallas, where he saw the Dallas Mavericks versus the Houston Rockets. The pre-teen explained that he wanted to go somewhere else, and he liked what Charles had done, and because the baseball season was over, and Six Flags was closed, the basketball game sounded like a good idea.

Matthew added that he too went to the Dallas World Aquarium and saw all the animals that Charles had seen, and that he also went to Speed Zone and drove the race cars like his ‘brother’ did. The pre-teen described how driving the race car around the Slick Trax was the most fun he ever had slip-sliding the car around the corners.

Even though Matthew had done something similar to what the twins and Charles had done, the pre-teen told Phillip that he did something that he thought was unique. Matthew unveiled that his last stop was at the Museum of the American Railroad.

The youngster told Phillip how he loved seeing all the old steam engines and early diesel designs, as well as the antique and present-day rolling stock, such as box cars, tank cars and flat cars. Matthew continued the account of his three-day trip with a big smile on his face and confessed that walking through the old passenger cars and sitting up in the copula of a caboose and looking out over all the old rolling stock, like the conductor would have, as the train rolled along, was something else to behold.

Finally, Billy got to tell Phillip about his three-day trip.

“Phil, my man … like Charles, I’d never been out of the area, and when Mr. Ken told me to decide where I wanted to go on my three-day trip, I was at a total loss. So, I did what you’re doing now, and I talked to my ‘brothers’ to find out where was the best place to go.

“After talking to them, I chose to go up to Dallas and attend a Ranger’s night baseball game, visit Six Flags Over Texas and, depending on time and the weather, we would visit either the Museum of American Railroad, the Dallas World Aquarium or Speed Zone. And, Phil, I never had so much fun!

“When we arrived at the hotel, the one right across from the amusement park that Charles stayed in, Mr. Ken gave me the option of swimming and getting at the game just before its start, or going to the stadium for batting practice. I chose to go and watch batting practice, and let me tell you that am I ever glad I did, because I think I grabbed at least three foul balls hit into the stands, and a t-shirt they shot up into the seats from some sort of air cannon they used.

“We also went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant that Charles and his dad went to. That was definitely a nice change from what we have gone to here. The next day Mr. Ken …he took me to Six Flags Over Texas and, like Charles, Mr. Ken got us the Platinum Flash Pass and after that we headed to the largest roller coaster they had. And, Phil, Mr. Ken’s coasters are very small, tiny even, in comparison.

“On the last day, I had to choose from the Dallas World Aquarium, the Museum of American Railroad and Speed Zone and I chose the Museum and Speed Zone. The Aquarium didn’t sound as interesting to me as the American Railroad, and Speed Zone did, which was why I picked them.

“Phil … you heard how Matthew loved seeing the old steam engines, diesels and rolling stock. Well, I got to see them, and also what was called TrainTopia. This was a 2,500-square-foot professionally-built G-scale train model railroad layout.

“I loved the way they had created rock formations that represented an area called the Four Corners region near New Mexico. They also had an animated Drive-In Theater that actually had a movie playing. There was a working saw mill, and the layout depicted a town, and all the while they had multiple G-scale trains running.

“But, Phil … Matthew, he didn’t tell you what types of trains he saw. There was this one steam engine that we were up close and personal to. It was the Union Pacific, Big Boy articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive. That thing was humongous, and it was called a 4-8-8-4 because it had a four-wheel leading truck for stability entering curves, two sets of eight driving wheels and a four-wheel trailing truck to support the large firebox that heated the water, to make the steam that drove the engine. It is something to behold. You can Google it, or search YouTube, for a video if you’re interested.

“After we left the Railroad Museum, we headed to Speed Zone. Let me tell you, young man, that what Charles and Matthew told you about that place was exactly what it is. To me the best track there was definitely the Slick Trax. When you drove that car, and because you were going so fast, that all you had to do, as you went around the corners, was slide it. It was such an awesome sensation. I did everything there, as my ‘brothers’ did, but Slick Trax was the best. We finished up by eating at Johnny Rocket’s before heading over to the airport to come back to The Cove.”

Phillip was astounded by what he just heard. He thanked his ‘brothers’ for telling him all about their three-day trips with their ‘dad’. He then asked them what they would suggest for him to do on his trip.

Billy quickly asked his younger ‘brother’ if he knew when they were going. The older teen reasoned that it could determine what would be available for them to attend.

When Phillip asked the older teenager what he meant, Robert spoke right up and ventured that the Battleship Texas was open all year round, as was Moody Gardens, Seawolf Park and Kemah Boardwalk, so he could go to them.

Billy commented that football might be being played in both Dallas and Houston over that weekend, and that basketball might be just starting up, too. The older teenager told his younger ‘brother’ that he needed to get on his computer and check which professional teams were playing and where, and to look up the places they talked about, and to check when they were open because some of them might have summer and winter hours.

Phillip confessed to his ‘brothers’ that he would have never thought to use his computer. The younger Cover again thanked his ‘brothers’ for talking to him and telling him all about their three-day trips with their ‘dad’.

What the boys didn’t know, due to them being so engrossed in their telling, was that ‘dad’ Ken was outside Robert’s room for the last part of Billy’s story. He had come upstairs to tell them that it was getting late, and Momma had dinner, and the ‘spoon’ set aside if they didn’t come down right away.

“Boys … it is getting late and Momma has dinner ready. And thank you for talking with your younger ‘brother’,” offered the man. “Now let’s all head down to the Nook and eat, so you guys can catch your ride to the football game.”

Dinner that night was soup and sandwiches, as Mr. Ken had suggested earlier to Momma. The teens were able to eat quickly, use the half-bath, get their coats and meet their rides up at the Main Gate. The two younger boys grumbled to their ‘dad’ that they couldn’t wait until they were old enough, so that they could go to the football games, too. All ‘dad’ Ken did was inwardly smile at their wishing to grow up so fast.

Later that evening, ‘dad’ Ken told the boys to get their light jackets, as he was taking them out to Four Corners, so they could drive the Go-Karts. Matthew and Phillip were all smiles knowing that they would get to do something fun that night.

Of course, the queue was quite long at the Go-Kart track, but the Cover boys knew that would be the case. They stood in line like the other people, and talked and waited their turn. A few of their classmates were there, so that made the time go by faster for them.

When the boys got out on the race track, ‘dad’ Ken did what he usually did, and that was have the tack operator give the race a few extra laps. And unless anyone was counting the laps, no one was the wiser. Phillip and Matthew raced against one another, and even though they didn’t win the overall that they were on; Matthew did cross the finish line before Phillip did.

The Covers then walked over to the amusement park where ‘dad’ Ken asked the boys what they wanted to do. They both wanted him to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl with them. The owner of the park bought their ride tickets, and the three Covers waited in line like everyone else. And the people, who knew Ken Thomas was, and that he owned the park, wondered why he was waiting in line as they were. So, they asked him.

“Mr. Ken … why are you waiting in line with us, since you own the park?” asked one woman.

The boys smiled at hearing the question, and they waited to hear their ‘dad’s’ answer.

Ken Thomas smiled at hearing the question and he replied to the lady by telling her that he didn’t want to abuse his position by going ahead of his patrons, or letting his ‘boys’ do that, as it set a bad precedent, since they were there often. The man added that it didn’t hurt them to stand in line like everyone else, as it gave them time to talk to people like her, and hear what they had to say about what he’s built.

The other people in line, upon learning who he was, began thanking him for putting in the amusement park, so close by, that gave their families a place to go without having to drive so far away. They did ask him if he was going to expand the park in the future.

Mr. Ken told them that they were presently installing a train that they can see if they go to the back side of the park. He explained that it is scheduled to be ready by next spring. He acknowledged that any future expansion would have to be carefully planned, as there really wasn’t much space remaining within which they could place more rides.

One lady suggested that he remove the miniature golf course and that way he’d have lots more space to add more rides for the kids, and a place for another restroom. Mr. Ken thanked her for thinking outside the box. He told the woman that it wasn’t as simple as it seemed due to there being investors that had to be satisfied, and the county commissioners to deal with.

Others thanked him for having a mix of rides that they could ride with their children, or their kids could ride with their grandparents. Some were also thankful for the fun games Mr. Ken installed at Four Corners for their children to play, and the easy hand-held foods they could eat as they walked around, or that they could sit down under the picnic area.

Ken Thomas was glad the boys had talked him into riding the Tilt-A-Whirl that night. Standing in line and talking to the people gave him some important feedback that he rarely got otherwise.

Then, when it was time for him and the boys to ride, ‘dad’ Ken sat in the middle of the ride car, with a boy on either side, and with all that weight in the carriage it spun around faster than ever, making the boys laugh like crazy.

The boys then asked for a few dollars so they could play some of the games. ‘Dad’ Ken asked them if they didn’t have enough plush toys on their beds, or in their rooms, already. Their response was that there was always room for a few more.

The boys talked their ‘dad’ into playing the Ring Toss on the Glass Bottles, and the Ball in the Cup games. He really didn’t want to play, however he was with his ‘boys’ and he rarely did anything like that with them, so he relented and he plopped down his money for all three of them to play the Ring Toss game first.

As the three Covers played the game, word got back to Nelson Sanders that the owner was out in the park riding the rides, and was now playing the games. The park’s operations manager decided he better go out and see that everything was going the way he taught his game attendants to run the Midway games.

As Nelson walked up to the Ring Toss game, he stood back and heard one of the boys yell out, “‘Dad’, you almost got it on, dang!”

“Having a difficult time getting that little plastic ring to stay on the glass bottle neck, are we?” Nelson asked over Mr. Ken’s shoulder.

Mr. Ken didn’t recognize the voice, and he had to turn to see who it was who was talking to him. Upon seeing it was Nelson, he laughed and admitted that he couldn’t, and said that the game was probably making them lots of money. The two men laughed and just then someone yelled that they got one to stay on. The men laughed some more.

The Covers next headed over to the Ball in the Cup game, and Nelson Sanders walked along with them. Ken Thomas paid for the three of them to get 25 balls each, and immediately the boys started tossing the whiffle balls onto the grid hoping that their ball would land on either a gold, blue or red cup, which meant they won a plush toy.

Nelson and Mr. Ken talked about what the people in line told the park’s owner, while he tossed his wiffle balls haphazardly onto the grid. Nelson laughed when he heard that one lady told Mr. Ken that he should close the miniature golf course, and place more rides, and a restroom there.

Then it happened. “‘Dad’ … ‘dad’ … you won!” yelled Matthew. “‘Dad’, you won!” And both Matthew and Phillip were giddy that their ‘dad’ had won a plush toy.

Ken Thomas and Nelson Sanders both looked at the grid and the attendant brought Mr. Ken a medium sized prize.

“Nelson … ahh … am I allowed to win? I mean … as the owner … is it fair that I play, and then can I win?” seriously asked the park’s owner.

Nelson asked what the man meant. Mr. Ken honestly admitted that he’s heard that many contests often say that employees of the company, and the advertising and marketing agencies are not eligible to play, or win.

Nelson told the owner that this was a game of chance, and he paid his money and took his chance and won, so he should just take his prize and go home. Mr. Ken looked at the operations manager, and then laughed and accepted the prize, and continued tossing the rest of his wiffle balls, not winning again.

Later, after the high school boys came home from the football game, Matthew and Phillip couldn’t wait to tell them how their ’dad’ won a medium plush toy.

Robert quickly asked his dad if he could see his winning prize. The teen’s dad told the teen that he couldn’t, as it was his, and it was resting on his bed. The three teenagers looked at one another, and then they all laughed.

Since it was late, the boys all went up to their rooms, and ‘dad’ Ken mentioned that he would be up in a few minutes. A few minutes later, as the boy’s ‘dad’ stopped at their rooms, he had his winning plush toy with him.

Billy smiled when his foster dad entered his bedroom, with the plush toy in his hands. The teen took the plush out of the man’s hands, and brought it to his face and hugged it. The two smiled at one another. ‘Dad’ Ken told the teen to sleep well, and that he’d see him in the morning. They shared a hug before Mr. Ken headed to his son’s room.

In Robert’s room, the man’s son laughed when he saw his dad walk in with the medium sized plush toy, and he too wanted to hold it. The dad handed it to his son, and after the teen hugged it to his face, he gave it back. The two shared a hug and the teen’s dad told his son to sleep well, and that he’d see him in the morning.

Charles heard what Robert said about the plush toy, so when his dad came into his room, he knew the man would have it with him. Charles looked at it and then compared it to the one that he had, and then congratulated his dad on winning the toy. The two had a good laugh over it, and then they shared a hug before the man headed to Matthew’s room.

Matthew had already seen the plush, as he was there when his ‘dad’ had won it. The two just shared a hug, and ‘dad’ Ken told the pre-teen to sleep well and that he’d see him in the morning. Like with the other boys, the man shared a hug with Matthew and then he went to Phillip’s bedroom.

“Being last makes you wait a long time,” announced the youngest Cover, when ‘dad’ Ken entered his room.

“I love you, too,” teased ‘dad’ Ken.

“‘Daaad’!” replied the youngster, as he jumped up and hugged his ‘dad’.

The two didn’t have anything to talk about as they had been together all night at Four Corners, and the boy knew about the plush toy. ‘Dad’ Ken told the boy to sleep well and that he’d see him in the morning, reminding the boy of his guitar lesson at nine o’clock. They hugged one more time and then the boy headed to his bathroom to drain his dragon, while ‘dad’ Ken walked down the stairs, plush toy in hand, to his retreat to get a good night’s sleep.

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

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