Starlight Rhapsody - Chapter 3
This story begins in 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts. The author was born in 1953 and never experienced life during the time in which the story takes place.
The concept for Starlight Rhapsody was conceived as I awoke one morning. I rushed to my PC to save the idea in a text file, and wound up staying at the PC for the entire day as the first four chapters literally wrote themselves. This novel is a complete work of fiction and the characters bear no resemblance to any real persons, living or dead. The main character's Christian name was chosen because it was the name of an online friend, but the use of his name is the only characteristic they have in common. I sincerely hope you will enjoy Starlight Rhapsody. It is a story filled with love, affection, friendships, relationships, competition and jubilation, however it was written as a same-sex love story without being pornographic. I cannot imagine that I could have written a different story with the same commitment and dedication I have given to this one. Those wishing to communicate with me about Starlight Rhapsody can do so at junkmail01801@gmail.com. If you like this story, be sure to make a donation to http://www.nifty.org so that authors like me continue to have a place to post our work so that you may enjoy it!
"Starlight Rhapsody - Chapter 3
A bell rang at Krystal O'Reilly's door, indicating she had a caller. Upon opening her door, she found Mike Flanagan waiting on the other side, anxiously wanting to speak to her. Obviously, something was wrong, or he wouldn't have come to her home.
"I'm worried about Alex," the young man stated. "The other day, he said something to me I can't sort out in my own mind, and it's bothering me."
"Are you worried about Alex," she began, "or yourself?"
"In a way, both," he answered. "Alex told me there are three things he cares about. I was the first, you were the second, and the piano was the third."
"Why does that worry you?" Krystal asked.
"Shortly, Alex will be taken away from both of us," Mike began. "He will age out upon reaching puberty and St. Patrick's will have to transfer him to a state-run facility for boys, just like I was when I was an orphan. That will leave the boy with nothing and no one. I care enough about his welfare and I don't want to see Alex lose what little he has."
Krystal listened intently as Mike voiced his concerns. It was obvious to her that there was more than just a staff and orphan relationship between the two of them, not totally unlike what existed between Alex and herself.
"How do you fit into all of this?" Krystal asked, being total serious. "I know how I do, but what about you. Are you and the boy attached in any romantic sort of way?"
"No, I'm not romantically involved with Alex, but he means everything to me," said Mike. "It's as though he is the little brother I never had, and I love him as if he really was my brother. That is why I am here talking to you. I can't talk to anyone at St. Patrick's. All they care about is moving children through the system, just like they did with me. No one there is supposed to have feelings for the orphaned children, but they paired me up with Alex shortly after his accident. This boy was all of a sudden sucked into an emotional vacuum, ripped apart with grief and had one friend in the world, and that friend got moved out several weeks ago. My biggest fear is that if they move Alex out, he'll lose me, he'll lose you, and he'll lose his music."
"In the back of my mind, I guess I knew they would eventually move Alex out," Krystal began. "I guess I just didn't think about how soon it might happen. What will you do once he's gone? Will you stay at St. Patrick's?"
"I don't know," Mike answered. "It would be rather painful with Alex gone. I've become quite attached to him."
"Let me think about this," Krystal said. "I have some influence at St. Patrick's, and I have several political friends who owe me favors. I will see if I can intervene on the boy's behalf, and if that fails, I will search for other alternatives. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. There will be a solution to this, one way or another. Whatever you do, you must not let Alex suspect your concerns."
"Thank you for your time, Mrs. O'Reilly," Mike replied.
"Krystal. You must call me Krystal," the lady responded with a smile.
Mike left Krystal O'Reilly's home, wondering exactly what she might be able to do for Alex. Her home was huge, so he presumed she was very wealthy and when she said that she might be able to use her influence on Alex's behalf, he did not have to be convinced. He noticed that she did not express any emotional attachment to the boy, but perhaps she was just guarding her own emotions. Maybe she did not share his fears that Alex would lose whatever emotional support he had, in addition to his music lessons. Well, he told her about his concerns, and there wasn't much else he could do but leave them in her hands.
As promised, Krystal brought Alex the full solo piano score to Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C# Minor." She placed it on the music stand in front of Alex during his next lesson, then sat down in a chair. Alex looked at the music, looked at Krystal who nodded, then looked back at the music and began to play the piece. His performance was clearly a first attempt by an amateur, but it thrilled the boy, nonetheless. He struck no wrong notes, each note was close to being in time, but he knew he had a long way to go before he could play it with polish. Even Krystal was amazed at how well he did with his first effort. It was clear to her what course of action she would have to take on the boy's behalf, and in the ensuing weeks, her efforts had come to fruition. During a Thursday lesson, with Alex having devoted a couple of weeks to practicing Rachmaninoff, he gave a much-improved performance for Krystal.
"Much, much better," Krystal said, applauding the boy's progress. "Now, I have a surprise for you. How would you like to be my guest tomorrow night at dinner in a nice restaurant?"
Alex, unsure of her motives, said "I think I might like that."
"Good," she began. "I will send a nice suit for you to wear, and I'm sure that nice young man Mike will help you look your best. Be ready at 5:30 and I will pick both you and Mike up for dinner."
"Mike's coming too?" Alex asked.
"Yes, there will be much for the three of us to discuss," she said.
"Why are you always so nice to me?" Alex wanted to know.
"Because you are a very special boy," the lady told him. "I have to go find Mike. There are a few things I need to ask him."
Off she went in search of Mike, finding him straightening out the books in the bookroom. She told him everything she had planned, and that everything was in place for Alex's future, with dinner the next night but needed his answer to one question. Upon receiving his answer, she went on her way, making dinner reservations, calling this one and that one, and doing what effervescent socialites do when they're excited about something. Friday afternoon, suits arrived for both Alex and Mike, who ended up dressing Alex, since the boy had never learned how to don a formal suit before in his life. Krystal waved to Father Moriarty, who already knew her plans for the evening, met her guests and they all drove off. Seated at their table in a quiet but cozy restaurant, Krystal began the conversation.
"Alex, you know that you will be approaching the age where you will have to leave St. Patrick's," Krystal began. "This concerns your friend Mike here, because he has brought it to my attention. I cannot allow this to happen, because you have shown too much promise at the piano, and leaving St. Patrick's would deprive you of the piano and your lessons, of me, and of Mike. How would you like it if you became my ward and I became your guardian? You would still have your music lessons, but in my music room, where you could practice whenever you wished, and there's also a large record library for your listening enjoyment."
The boy couldn't believe his ears! His music teacher was offering him a home, with records, her piano and without having to go to a boys' home! There was still one unresolved issue, though.
"Is Mike going to stay at St. Patrick's?" the boy asked.
"I am frequently busy as a sculptor, and I enjoy my art," Krystal replied. "I also have a fairly busy social life I'm expected to maintain. Now, I know how much he means to you, and what you mean to him, so I have hired Mike as your governor. That's pretty much just a fancy official title for the role he fills in your life at St. Patrick's. I have a huge home that I live in all by myself, so it will be a joy to have a boy and a young man around. Having the two of you in my home will make it look as though people actually live in it!"
Alex was almost speechless! "When is all of this going to happen?"
Krystal and Mike looked at each other, smiled, then looked back at Alex, still smiling.
"It already has," Mike said. "Krystal had the paperwork finalized on Monday."
"I've had your things and Mike's things moved from St. Patrick's to my home, and they should be there after we eat dinner. Now, who's hungry and what would each of you like for dinner?"
Alex and Mike ate like a pair of staved wolves. Even with Mike's friend as the cook in the kitchen, St. Patrick's did often get good quality provisions. Even the very best the orphanage had to offer couldn't compare with the luxury of the bill of fare in the restaurant. Krystal had to keep from chuckling with her mouth full as she watched the boy and the young man eat! When they had finished their meal, Krystal suggested they take a brief walk. They walked a short distance from the restaurant when they came to a school.
"I have considered the schools in the area that you might attend," Krystal said. This one has a reputation for having an excellent music program, and if you were to study here, it would leave me free to work with you exclusively on the piano and leave the scales, notes and reading to them. What do you think?"
"I'll have to leave it up to you," Alex replied. No one ever asked his opinion of such a thing before.
"It's an easy walk from your new home," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "Besides, other students here live close by, so it will be convenient to socialize as you make new friends."
Making new friends wasn't something of great importance at the moment, but Alex liked the fact that the school was close to home. They walked back to Krystal's car, then drove the around two corners to her home.
"I... I... I live here?" Alex stammered when he gazed at what appeared to be a small palace.
"Yes, the three of us do," Krystal replied. The house has two wings. My studio and bedroom are in the east wing. You gentlemen will have your own rooms with an adjoining door in the west wing. You may leave the adjoining door open if you like, or you may close it for your privacy. How you keep your rooms will be up to you, as long as they are tidy, and I will not invade your space and expect that you will not invade mine. When you need me for anything, just stand at the entrance to the east wing and call for me and I will come to you."
Krystal opened the front door and let out a shriek!
"What are those?" she wanted to know.
"They look like our clothes," said Mike.
"Those will never do!" Krystal exclaimed. "I will get you both some robes you can wear until the morning when I can have some decent things for you to wear delivered. I should have suspected this from what you wore around St. Patrick's. I should have remembered how they recycle everything from one child to the next!"
She went to get them some robes that had belonged to her late husband, then remembered she had packed them away, but didn't want them sleeping in their new suits either. She showed them to their adjoining rooms, pointed out their respective bathrooms, where to find soap and other toiletries and extra towels, if needed.
"I would like the two of you to shower before going to bed," the woman said. Each of your rooms is equipped with your own shower. I don't have robes for you this evening, but you can't wear those awful things from St. Patrick's either. Just sleep in your birthday suits tonight and I'll have new things here first thing in the morning. Before you retire, hang up your suits in your closets. I will go to my room now and will see you gentlemen at breakfast."
Krystal smiled at them as she left. She was happy there would be some life in her home again. By accepting the responsibility of raising her pupil, she felt she could offer the boy a brighter future than he'd get otherwise, and she did have faith that he possessed real talent. With Mike around, she'd have some company when Alex was at school as well as some manly help around the house other than what the caretaker provided. Everyone stood to gain from this arrangement, the way she saw it.
Alex undressed for his shower, hanging his suit in his closet as requested, turned on the water to an acceptable temperature, and got under the spray. It felt nice to have little droplets of water fall on him, instead of the harsh streams from the showers at St. Patrick's. The soap also had a pleasant fragrance, unlike whatever the stinky stuff was the orphanage provided. Alex got himself cleaner than he must have been since the accident, not intentionally, but because he enjoyed the shower. He dried himself off, hung his towel back up and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for Mike to finish his shower. Mike had enjoyed his shower, too. When he had finished drying off, he also hung his towel and without thinking twice, walked through the door into Alex's room as naked as a jaybird. Alex had never seen a naked adult man before and hadn't passed puberty himself, so he was a little taken aback by what he saw of Mike. Being curious, he couldn't withhold some questions.
"How is your thing so big and mine is so small? Alex asked the young man. "How did you get all that hair around it?"
"It's not all that amazing Alex," Mike replied. "This happens to all boys once they turn thirteen or fourteen. It's when a boy becomes a young man, and it's why St. Patrick's sends boys to boys' homes and girls to girls' homes. St. Patrick's keeps boys and girls, but they have to send them both to separate homes once they reach the age that this will happen."
"Will mine really get that big?" Alex inquired.
"Alex, we come in different shapes and sizes," the young man said. "All of that doesn't matter. What will matter then, just as it does now, is that when you have to relieve yourself, you can."
Mike chose his words wisely, without referring to specifics about "relieving yourself." He just rationalized that one of the reasons he may have been retained by Krystal was to explain the facts of life to Alex when necessary, but he just felt like now wasn't the time, and he really didn't want the topic of discussion to cause him to become aroused and have to explain that.
"It's pretty neat that we both live here now, huh?" Mike changed the subject.
"How long do you think it will take before my thing looks like yours?" Alex asked, obsessed with the differences between Mike's body and his own.
"Maybe a year, maybe less or maybe more," Mike answered. "The thing is, you can't make it happen. It just happens all on its own. It happens when your body is ready for it to happen, and once it does, there's no going back."
Alex looked at himself to see if he spied any hair growth, but there wasn't any. Still, he had a difficult time keeping his eyes off Mike.
"Look, our rooms are connected," Mike observed. This won't be the last time you'll see me in this state of undress, and it won't be the last time I'll see you this way, either. When you begin to develop and I notice it, I'll tell you, OK? Since you first met me, haven't I always been here for you?"
Alex nodded.
"Well, now I practically am your older brother, so I'm certainly not going to walk out on you. I'll be here for you through your physical change from a boy to a young man," he assured the Alex, "and when it's over, you should have close to what you see I have, maybe more, maybe less. Whatever you look like today and whatever you will look like tomorrow will never be anything you should be afraid of or ashamed about. Now, I'm tired. I think I'll go next door and try to get some sleep."
"Yeah, I'm tired too," Alex said as he turned back the bedding and crawled underneath.
"Good night, little brother," Mike said with a smile.
"Good night, big brother," Alex replied before rolling over, running Mike's physique around in his head, and then falling asleep.
The next morning, there were knocks on both Mike's and Alex's bedroom doors that awakened each of them. A voice they didn't recognize informed them there were packages outside their respective doors, containing their new wardrobes. Alex, never having to concern himself with modesty, dashed out of his bed, tore open the door, grabbed his package and brought it into his room, leaving the door wide open. Mike grabbed his towel from the bathroom, wrapped it around his waist, and retrieved his package closing the door behind him. They both tore the brown paper off the packages, which were rather heavy, to discover ten pairs of slacks in black, navy blue, and gray with accompanying belts, at least twelve shirts, some for dress and some for everyday wear, a few ties, a dozen pairs of socks, a dozen pair of undershorts, and four pair of shiny leather shoes of which two were black and the others brown, plus a pair each of sneakers and slippers. Without dressing, Mike entered Alex's room through the adjoining door and froze.
"Alex! Mike exclaimed! "Close the door! Anyone can see into the room, and you're still naked!"
"So what?" the boy replied, as it made no difference to him.
"You just can't do that!' Mike said as he walked over and shut the door. "Look, little brother, this isn't the orphanage where boys and girls are segregated. It's isn't appropriate for you to be letting everyone see you when you're undressed. If Krystal saw you like that, she might feel she'd have to punish you for something you didn't even know wasn't acceptable. I am here to protect you and teach you what you can do and what you can't. Behind our closed doors, we have our individual privacy. It's all right if we're undressed with our doors closed, and it doesn't matter if the adjoining door is open and either or both of us are undressed, but it is not acceptable to be undressed in front of Krystal or anyone else who may wander into this section of her home. If either of us are in our rooms and are undressed, the doors leading out of the rooms must be closed. Do you understand?"
"I guess," Alex said, not really understanding Mike's point. "I'll keep the door closed when I'm undressed."
"Good," Mike said with relief.
"What should we wear?" Alex asked. "These things don't look like anything I've ever worn before."
"Let me see what you have," Mike said as he took a mental inventory of Alex's garments, which appeared identical to his own, only smaller. "Grab a pair of undershorts, navy blue socks and put them on. Then put on a pair of navy blue slacks and a black belt with your light blue shirt and black shoes. I will help you with your tie."
Alex did as Mike instructed, but he was a little confused over why he had to put on extra garments, especially the tie. Mike, on the other hand, wondered how Krystal could have placed an order for their new wardrobe without knowing what sizes to order, but miraculously, everything fit both of them perfectly. Mike dressed totally in brown, except for his shirt which was beige. As soon as Alex was totally dressed except for his tie, Mike made the boy stand with his back to him as he tied the boy's tie and tucked it under his collar.
"We need haircuts, little brother," Mike told Alex, wondering if perhaps he was taking the whole "brother" thing too far. Both of them were quite handsome in their new clothes, with the exception of their straggly hair. Mike made Alex hang his remaining slacks and shirts in his closet and put his undershorts and socks in a drawer. After doing the same with his own, he and Alex made their respective beds. It was now time to present themselves to the lady who was responsible for their new "look." They left their rooms through their separate doors and headed down the hall to the grand staircase. Alex would have run down the hall and slid down the banister, but Mike restrained him. Mike had no experience being a gentleman, but his benefactor was a grand lady and he did not want to face her disapproval and be chastised for Alex's behavior. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted by a strange woman wearing an apron.
"This way, sirs," the woman instructed. Mike and Alex looked at one another with the same thought: "Sirs?"
"The gentlemen are here, Madam," the woman announced.
"Send them in, Elena," they heard Krystal's voice reply.
The two "gentlemen" entered a dining area where Krystal was seated at the head of the table drinking a cup of tea.
"Well, don't you two look like real gentlemen this morning?" Krystal inquired with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"
They nodded, but obtained a look of disapproval from Krystal, who said, "A gentleman never nods to a lady or shakes his head. He replies, `Yes, ma'am' or `no, ma'am.' Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison.
Krystal laughed and said, "We don't need such formalities around here when it is just the three of us and Elena in the house, but if I have guests, we will have to maintain decorum. Something has been troubling me since I got up this morning. It's not bad, and in fact it might be something you two will wish to discuss between yourselves. Neither of you have any family, nor do I. Mike, you're an adult, so you can make your own decision, but Alex is my ward and I can decide for him, but I will only do this if both of you want me to. What would you say if I was to legally adopt the two of you? It's not that I feel a need to have two sons, but I know how close the two of you have become, and if we became a family of three, the two of you would become brothers. Think about it and you can let me know when you are ready. Now, are you hungry? Elena has prepared eggs, sausages, potatoes, coffee and tea, so you may have whatever you like."
Krystal rang a little tea bell and Elena appeared.
"Elena, would you please serve these gentlemen some breakfast? They must be hungry by now. It's 10:15 in the morning!" Krystal said.
"Yes, madam," Elena replied.
"Living with people is different than knowing them socially or professionally," Krystal told Alex and Mike. "At home, I'm a much more carefree person than you have seen at St. Patrick's. This is my world and I have very few cares or worries. I have friends I visit, they visit me, I sponsor cultural events, charities, and all sorts of things a woman of my social position is expected to do. Sometimes, I'd rather just decline many of these obligations and have a little fun with a couple of guys like you two! I may be 35 years-old, but don't think I wouldn't enjoy jumping on a sled to coast my way down a snowy hill, or don a pair of skates to glide around a frozen pond. My friends and social contacts would find that unbecoming of the woman they expect that I am. If you gentlemen have no objections to me accompanying you and the friends you will make to do some of these things, I would be honored to be in your company."
The two males looked at each other in disbelief. Not only was this lady willing to make them her own sons and brothers to each other, but she wanted the three of them to be a real family!
"Ma'am," Mike began with a grin, "You can do whatever you like. Look what you're giving us. Who are we to suggest what you can or cannot do?"
"That's not the point, Mike," Krystal responded. "The point is that I don't wish to intrude on your lives. If you don't mind that I join you sometimes when you go to have fun, I'd like it very much. I just don't want to be in your way or for your friends to think I'm joining you as a chaperone."
"I think it would be great!" Alex exclaimed. "You brought us here so that we could be happy. Why shouldn't you be happy, too?"
"He's right," Mike chimed in. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be happy, especially if you are our mother."
"No, you must always refer to me as Krystal," the lady said. "If you agree that we are to become a family, it will only be in the legal sense. I can never replace your biological parents, no matter how good or bad they were to you. I will always be Krystal and you will be Alex Kennedy and Mike Flanagan, although I will leave each of you the choice of keeping your family names or taking mine instead. Now on another matter, Alex, I will need to register you at school this week. Once that is done, you and I can resume our music lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will show you the music room down the hall which is to the right of what I call the great room. There's a concert grand piano, a modern record player with speakers hidden all over the room in the walls and ceiling, and shelves upon shelves of records to enjoy."
This news got Alex excited, practically making him wolf down his breakfast. Mike took his time with his own though, savoring every bite. When they had finished their meal, Krystal stood up and beckoned them to follow her. She led them down a hallway into the great room, as she called it, a huge ballroom with chairs against the outer walls and a platform for musicians, complete with a concert grand piano. Krystal opened a door to a room that was half the size of the great room. In the middle was another concert grand piano, and in the corner was a fancy record player, with an amplifier that had all kinds of switches and dials on it. Three walls of the room contained library shelves filled with what at a distance appeared to be tall books, but on close inspection were revealed to be record albums. Alex thought he had died and gone to heaven!
"What do you have for records? Mike asked.
"Oh, symphonies, piano concertos, operas, you know, the usual," she replied.
"Don't you have any popular music?" the young man asked.
"Do you see those two doors under each of the bottom shelves? She inquired. "I hide all of the popular records behind those. That way, my snobby friends have no idea I ever buy popular records!"
Mike grinned at the woman, who smiled back. "This lady is something else," he thought, and if she wanted to become his legal mother even though he was already a grown man, it was all right with him. They left the music room and walked back to the dining area. Elena had already cleaned up after their breakfast and they sat back at the table in the same seats they occupied previously.
"I have this charity bazaar I have to attend this afternoon, so you gentlemen will be pretty much on your own. There is another package of clothes arriving just after noon. These are everyday things you can wear to go outside and do whatever it is that young men do, like climb trees, explore down by the pond, wrestle each other, or just roll around and get dirty. I want you both to walk down the hill to Center Street and take a right. A few doors down, you'll find a barber shop run by my old friend Nick. Each of you get a haircut, then walk back up the hill to the house where you can have some fun, play some music, or do whatever you like, but please stay out of trouble! Dinner will be at 6:00, but don't bother dressing up for it. Just wear whatever you decided to wear for the afternoon. You'll have to excuse me now, as I must get ready to attend that bazaar, so I'll see you both this evening. If you need anything, just ring for Elena."
In a flash, Krystal was gone. The boys went upstairs to their rooms. Mike suggested they get undressed, hang up their new clothes to wear on another occasion, and wait for the next packages to arrive. Both boys hung up their slacks and shirts. Mike thought Alex was about to remove his undershorts as well, but he merely adjusted them and kept them on.
"What do you make of Krystal," Mike asked the boy. "How do you feel about becoming her son?"
"I don't know," replied Alex. "I mean, I loved my parents and my sister, but this lady wants to give me a new family. I really like her, and if I let her become my new mother and you do the same, you really would be my older brother. There's a lot of good things about what she's offering to do, and I can't think of anything bad about it."
"You once had a family of your own," Mike told the boy. "I lost mine, too." Krystal's offering to be a mother to me even though I don't need one, but the really appealing part of her offer is that you will really be my brother. I'm going to go take a quick shower before the next package of clothes arrives, but I'll think about all this while I'm showering."
Mike went into his room and shortly Alex heard the water running in his shower. When Mike was finished with his shower, he returned to Alex's room in just his undershorts. The young boy thought something was odd about Mike as he looked at his face and realized the young man's eyes were watering.
"What's wrong?" the boy asked.
"I'm nineteen years old," the young man began. Why did it take nineteen years for me to feel that someone really cared about me and wanted to love me?"
"Maybe it's because it took you nineteen years to learn what love really is," Alex responded. "Remember, we used to have our own families. Mine taught me about love as I'm sure yours did. You had someone at St. Patrick's who showed you he cared, but then you went to the boys' home where I guess no one did. Maybe it took you to care about me and for me to love you back before you understood how it really felt to be loved."
Mike walked over to Alex and pulled him tightly against himself, sobbing, thinking here he was, a nineteen year-old young man, finding himself wanted as the son of a wealthy socialite and the brother of an orphan who taught him more about love than any other people in his life. He couldn't hold back.
"I love you, little brother," he said. "If you will have me as your big brother, it will be an honor I will accept."
"I love you too, big brother," Alex replied. "You were the only adult who cared about me when I was stuck in that wheelchair with my legs in casts, suffering over the loss of my family. Of course I want you for my brother, and I think we should both take Krystal's name so that everyone will know that we are brothers."
Mike's heart melted at hearing the boy's words. He gave Alex one last tight hug, then released the boy. He sat in a chair while Alex sat on his bed. Both sat in silence just looking in each other's eyes. When Mike regained his composure, he broke the silence.
"You are an amazing person for a thirteen year-old," he told Alex. "You are sensitive to the way other people feel, you freely offer your love to people, and people love you for it."
"I guess it's the way I've always been," Alex answered. "My parents were always that way with me."
"I hope when I meet a girl, that she will be like you," Mike said. "I really need a girl who is as open about sharing love as you are. You will eventually meet a girl who will appreciate how freely you extend your love, and she will probably become your wife and bear your children. I hope you will all be happy together."
There was a knock at the door.
`Yes?" Alex answered.
"Sirs, there are packages outside each of your doors for you," Elena answered through the door.
"Fine, Elena," Mike replied. "We'll get them."
Mike ran to the door without bothering to dress, which confused Alex considering what Mike told him earlier, went out into the hall and retrieved both packages.
"Hey!" Alex exclaimed. "You told me going out there naked was unacceptable!"
"I knew Elena was the only other person in the house and that she had gone back downstairs after delivering these bundles," Mike replied. "Still, it's safer that when we are undressed, we stay in the rooms with the doors closed.
"Yeah, all right," the boy agreed.
"So, are we decided to become the O'Reilly brothers? Mike asked Alex.
"I don't see why not," Alex answered.
"Look at what we'll have," Mike pointed out. "Krystal's a wealthy widow with lots of important friends, many of whom are in music and who can help you in the future. She lives in this huge house all by herself and she has a maid. You and I have had our friendship, but what does Krystal have? She's really a lonely lady. She's offered us lives we might only dream about, and all she wants from us is to have a little fun and company in her life. Her wealthy friends can't offer her the kind of company you and I can. They're too snobby. Remember what she said about having to hide her popular records? She wants us for company because we can give her our love, which her friends can't or won't, and she will have us to enjoy the things she likes that don't interest her friends. The woman deserves to get something she needs out of this bargain, and I think if she wants to officially make us her sons and brothers to each other, then we should let her do it. Then, we all win.
"I guess you're right, big brother," Alex agreed.
They tore open their new bundles and discovered clothes that were much more to their liking: total casual apparel they could go out in, be themselves, and blend in with their peers. Mike dressed in front of Alex, only so Alex could choose a similar outfit without his direction. He began with the same undershorts he had removed earlier, but Alex didn't care for them and dressed without them. Mike made a mental note to caution Alex about that in the future as puberty began his transformation. When they were fully dressed, Mike suggested they go get their haircuts and then come back to look around the property, explore their new surroundings and become familiar with the territory. Alex went along, but secretly he wanted to explore Krystal's records to see if she had any he liked. Once outside, they discovered a long driveway with a roundabout that led to the front door and a fountain in the center of the roundabout. Sprawling lawns flanked each side of the driveway, with hedges along the outside parameters of the lawns. They walked around the building to discover an in-ground swimming pool covered by painted plywood, surrounded by a privacy fence, with a duck pond on the far side of another sprawling lawn, again flanked by hedges.
"Do we live in a palace?" Alex asked Mike.
"It sure seems that way," Mike replied. "I believe this is what they call an estate." A thought crossed his mind that he thought he should mention to his future brother. "Did you know that if Krystal adopts us, when she dies, this will probably be ours? I really don't care, because I'm not into owning all kinds of things and I'm not into pretending I'm a snob when I'm not, like Krystal feels she has to."
"I'm with you," Alex said. "As long as I have my music and people I love and who love me in my life, I'll be happy. I don't want to have to pretend I'm not a snob. Hey, maybe we can convince Krystal that she doesn't have to pretend, either!"
"Let's get our haircuts now, and come back to look around," Mike answered. "This estate appears huge, but you'd never know such an expansive property like this existed in Boston. You said Krystal's mother taught piano, right? What if all this luxury wasn't Krystal's doing but her dead husband's? Suppose all of Krystal's pretense was something she had to develop to please the man she married, and now she just doesn't know how to get out of it even though he's passed on."
"I never thought of that. Maybe she feels stuck in this world she's in, would like to get out, and is afraid to get out," Alex agreed. "Perhaps we need to help her get out."
"Let's talk to her over dinner, Mike suggested. "I'll open the door by asking how long she lived here. That might let her open up a little about herself and her life."
"That sounds good to me," Alex answered. "I can ask about her husband. Maybe that will tell us how she got all of this."
"We'll just play it by ear," Mike said. "If she wants to tell us about it, she will."
Alex and Mike walked to Nick's barbershop, got their haircuts, walked back to their new home and then explored what they expected were the extremities of the property until the sun began to set, then headed indoors to the music room. Alex scanned Krystal's collection of classical recordings while Mike rummaged through her popular discs.
"Wow! I haven't heard this one since I was younger than you," Mike exclaimed, with a record in his hand headed toward the record player. He turned put the record on the machine, switched it on, and then pressed a button. The tonearm lifted, the record dropped, and the needle set down on the record. Benny Goodman's "Bugle Call Rag" began to play from speakers in every direction of the room! Mike was obviously enjoying the record, but Alex was haunted by his memory of his mother playing the same record. When it had ended, Mike put the record back where he'd found it and asked Alex if he found anything he liked.
"Yeah," he replied, carrying a disc over to the record player. "My favorite of all, Rachmaninoff's `Prelude in C# Minor'." He put it on the player and pressed the button. The record dropped and the music began.
"I recognize that," Mike said. "I heard you play it in the dining hall last week!"
"Yes, you did," Alex replied. "I've only been playing it for a few days, too."
"What you played didn't sound much different than it does on that record," Mike told him.
"Are you kidding?" Alex scoffed. "On the record, it's played by the man who wrote it. I'm only an inexperienced student. He was a professional artist. There's no comparison between what you're hearing now and what you heard me play. The only similarities are the notes. The way this piece is played is totally different, particularly the way the notes are accentuated."
"I have faith in you, little brother," Mike encouraged him. "You will become the artist you hope to be. Krystal will see to that."
The record ended and Alex switched off the record player and put the record back where he found it, having made a mental note of where it was stored. Looking at a clock on the wall, they saw it was approaching dinner time, so they closed up the music room and headed to the dining area where a smiling Krystal awaited them. Elena had prepared a fabulous dinner of fish, creamed potatoes, and a steamed vegetable medley that was slightly crunchy and still flavorful.
"Did you gentlemen enjoy your day," Krystal inquired.
"Yes, but it gives us many questions," Mike answered for the two of them. "What do you really need with all of this?"
"I don't," she replied. "That's why I'm willing to share it with you two gentlemen. My late husband inherited it from his family. Because of the rest of his family, we were obligated to live in it. I didn't really want to live here, but who was I to object? I was his dutiful wife, I loved him, he loved me, and that was that. When I lost him to cancer, I was stuck with this white elephant, a life I was expected to continue living, but no one with whom I could share it."
"Alex and I talked this afternoon," Mike told her while Alex had a mouthful of food. "We decided that if you sincerely want to adopt us, we are willing to become your sons and take you as our legal mother, which would also make us brothers, but I have a requirement before I'll be in full agreement with it."
"What is that? Krystal asked.
"That we actually live as a family. I don't want to live as your son and Alex's brother without being able to express my feelings for either of you, and I don't want you to be reserved about expressing your feelings for us. I don't care that you are a wealthy woman, and I'm sure Alex doesn't, either. What I know we both want is for the three of us to share the love we have for each other as a family. I know I don't wish to feel like a paid companion for either you or Alex. I love Alex as though he already is my little brother, and I'd like to be able to say that I love you too as the maternal figure in my life. We'd both like to feel that you love us as your sons.
Krystal never expected being blindsided by Mike's words. It was an accurate description of what she honestly hoped might arise out of her suggestion of adoption, but what the young man said meant her dream could come true. Upon knowing they all wanted the same thing from one another, Krystal went to another subject.
"Have you decided to retain your family names," she questioned them.
"As long as you agree to what Mike said, we'll take your name so everyone will know we're a family," Alex replied.
"Yes, and it's important to Alex and me that people know we're brothers," Mike chimed in.
"Then it's all settled," Krystal told them with a smile. "I guess I'm about to be a mother, you will be my sons, and each other's brother. We're a family."
Alex got up from his place at the table, walked over to Krystal, gave her a hug and a kiss, saying "I love you, Mom."
Not to be outdone, Mike followed suit, with both young men putting joy in Krystal's heart that she had taken the two into her home. After dinner, she asked her two new family members if there was anything they would enjoy doing for the evening. Mike suggested that perhaps she might show them around the area, pointing out where to shop, where to find entertainment, and fun things to do. Krystal thought it was a great idea, best executed on foot rather than by car. They walked down the long driveway, through the gate, toward the edge of the shopping district. Krystal pointed out the grocers with the freshest fruits and vegetables, the fish market, the five and ten cent store, which sold odds and ends like thread, sewing needles, buttons, shoelaces, shoe polish and other things the grocery stores didn't handle, the tobacconist, the barber, the pharmacy, and pretty much identified whatever they passed.
"Where's the record store?" Alex inquired.
"That's downtown," Krystal replied. "We'll have to take the trolley to get there, but it's not that far."
"If I had a bicycle, could I ride there?" he asked.
"Probably, but there's no guarantee your records would arrive home in one piece," she said. "It's safer if we go by trolley so your records won't get broken.
"Is there anywhere close that a guy like me could meet girls?" Mike asked.
"That all depends on the type of girls you want to meet," Krystal answered. "If you want to meet girls who only want to use you for your money or what they can get out of you and bear you illegitimate children, yes there are several. If you wish to meet respectable girls who will want to love you, want you to share your love with them, and raise a family with you, there are different ways to meet girls like those. Leave that to me."
"Okay, Mom," Mike smiled at her. Even though he was an adult, he wasn't experienced in such matters and trusted that Krystal knew what was in his best interest.
Mike stood on one side of Krystal, and put his arm around her. Alex stood on the other side and did the same. The three of them walked down the street as though it was perfectly natural for them to share such a display of affection for each other, generating strange looks from passers-by. The three people who had started the previous day without special people permanently in their lives had committed themselves to becoming a family, and all of them walked down the street with arms linked and joy in their hearts. The shopkeepers closed up their shops, people went home, and so did the soon-to-be O'Reilly clan.
"You guys wore me out," Krystal informed the guys. "I'm off to bed, but before I go, I want to thank you both for a wonderful evening. It was fun!"
"Thank you," the two guys responded in unison.
"Good night, my dears. I will see you in the morning. It is Sunday. Shall we go to church?" Krystal asked.
"I will," Mike said.
"Me too," Alex agreed.
"Fine. Elena will wake you, so you may be showered and dressed for church," Krystal said. "Sleep well," she echoed as she made her way down the hall to her bedroom.
The two guys went to their rooms, got undressed, hung their clothes in their closets, then Alex went into Mike's room for a before-bed chat.
"What do you make of all of this?" he asked Mike.
"What do you mean?" Mike said, requesting clarification.
"Well, you me and Krystal are going to be a real family," the boy said. "Why do we get to be this lucky?"
"Maybe God saw that there were three people who needed each other to have happiness in their lives and He brought us together," said Mike. "We never know why He does things, but we should be thankful when He does."
"I am thankful, and I'm so happy," Alex said. "The two most important people in my life will now be my family. I don't see how anything could be better than that."
"I love you, little brother," Mike said with a serious look on his face. "If Father Moriarty didn't ask me to look out for you when he first hired me at St. Patrick's, none of this would have happened for me."
"I love you too, big brother," was Alex's reply. "You were there for me when I needed you, and you're still here for me now."
"I will always be here for you, little brother," Mike told him. "Never forget it."
Alex ran over to Mike, gave him a big hug and kissed the older boy's cheek. Mike pulled his brother-to-be tightly against him, kissed his forehead, and then released him.
"We should get some sleep," Mike said. Elena will be knocking early, and we'll want to be rested."
"All right," the young boy said as he headed through the adjoining door to their rooms. He climbed into bed, turned out his light, and kept his nightly date with the sandman.
Mike finished undressing before climbing into bed but did not fall directly to sleep. The events of the day were playing over and over in his mind, as though someone read it from the previous night. Hadn't he thought about the possibility of Krystal making them a real family? What were the odds that she might have the same idea and propose it before breakfast the next morning? What were the odds that Alex would so easily agree with the idea? Mike didn't know if he was more excited to actually have a family he could call his own, this somewhat off-the-wall wealthy widow as his mother, or having Alex as his brother. He figured it didn't matter, because the whole arrangement seemed too good to be true, but true it certainly was. The young man switched out his light, rolled over, and within minutes, he was overcome by sleep.
(to be continued)