TIME-TO-SEE-70
"Dad? Will you show me how to tie this tie? Mom didn't ever know how." Murph said walking in on Brandy & Max without knocking...
Fortunately, they were not in a compromising situation, but Brandy was sitting on Max's lap playfully strangling him by holding on to his necktie. Both had already dressed for dinner and were just waiting for everyone else to finish.
Murph looked at his dads rather puzzled at them playing, but then he dismissed the unusual-- well, unusual for Murph-- horsing around. "See here, look, Dad. It always turns out to be a big mess!" Murph complained to his dad in exasperation.
"Okay, young man. Just come over here. Turn your back to me and let me show you how it looks when you're doing it for yourself," Max said.
"My you are sure one handsome young man, all dressed up. I think you take after your very handsome father," Brandy said looking right into Max's eyes.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Brandy!"
"Who's flattering? It's absolutely true! You are two very handsome men... Now try to twist THAT around to avoid the compliment, Mr. Murphy!" Brandy said.
Sean wandered in before Max had finished with Murph. He too was struggling with his tie, which he told Brandy was the first coat and tie he had ever owned.
"Well, I spoke too soon, Max. There are THREE incredibly handsome men in this room, and I'm not even including myself!" Brandy said. "Will you look at that Irish Gentleman, Sean Murphy. Isn't he a rake, Max?"
"Brandy, will you help me with my tie. I can't do it... How do you tie these things?"
"Indubitably, my little man. Just back your butt up to me and I'll tie it over your shoulder like Max is doing with Murph, and you'll BOTH know how to tie your ties in the future--I hope," Brandy said.
Just as both boys emerged from their instruction sessions there was a knock on the main door to the Murphy Suite.
"Come in!" Brandy called out.
And in moments in walked the Kramer-Ramirez family with both boys dressed and combed and looking very handsome indeed.
"Kevin, Hugo, my, what handsome boys you have... almost as handsome as ours!" Brandy chided.
"Well, I can only take that as a compliment as these young Murphy Irishmen are two very handsome dudes," Hugo replied.
"You see, Max. I wasn't lying. Hugo thinks they're handsome too; so YOU are just sensitive because you are a handsome Irish 'Dude' yourself," Brandy kidded his mate.
"Thank you, Hugo. Thank you on behalf of the entire family... But Brandy, I think you could be a trifle biased, even if you are right!" Max retorted.
Brandy smacked Sean on the butt. You're all done. Do you think you can do it again for yourself next time, without my help?" Brandy asked.
"Yes, Sir. I think so..." Sean replied.
"And what a nice haircut you got, Sean," Kevin said. "You really do look especially nice tonight. It's the first time we've seen you all dressed up, and what a treat that is..."
"It's me first suit coat and tie ever!" Sean announced and smiled at Kevin.
Max stood and addressed the group, "Is everyone ready? I think it's about the time I requested for our reservations in the grand dining room; so we really ought to begin walking in that direction."
"Don't you mean that we'll be dining in luxury at the marvelous Earl of Thomond Restaurant in Clare?" Brandy clarified.
"Well, I didn't want to make it sound so ostentatious, Brandy. But, yes, I'm sure the boys will remember this evening-- hardly your fish-n-chips beer-pub sort-of-place..." Max joked.
A banquet style table had been set amid the Earl of Thomond's elegant furnishings. The windows were ceiling to floor, perhaps 30 feet high, with long flowing draperies in gold and orange, and cream sheers between the main drapery panels.
The table was set with three places on both sides and a place setting at the two ends, serving as double heads. Large, dark-wood chairs with gold velvet, upholstered arms, backs, and seats were sitting at each place.
The table itself was prepared with white bone china that displayed the Castle Dromoland crests. Heavy silver flatware, white linen napkins matching the white table covering, crystal goblets, and fresh flowers completed the table.
"Dad..." Sean whispered to Max as he pulled on Max's arm... "Is this a party?"
Max smiled pleasantly and answered, "I suppose it is, son. This is just a very special dinner party to honor you and Murph and our wonderful American friends. It isn't every day that we all have the privilege of such good company."
Max turned to the group and spoke after indicating that Kevin and Hugo should take up seats in the middle of each side. The brothers would be seated across from each other, with Sean and Murph seated nearest Max's head of the table, and Nicky and Jilder nearest Brandy's head of the table.
When everyone was seated, Max began: "Please, everyone. I wish to thank each and every one of you for joining me here this evening in this very special place for me, a place where I can feel the love that nurtured me as a boy... And I want each of you to know that both Brandy and I feel a similar great love for each and all of you.
"And to my son, Sean, and my son, Shannon- AKA-The Murph, I want you to know that you are two of the three most important people in my life: my sons and my mate, Brandon. I am a very lucky man to have you all, and I want to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for consenting to share your life with me... I am blessed many, many times, and I love EACH of you immensely...," and as Max finished, his voice cracked a tiny bit and his eyes began to tear.
"I love you, Sir. And I love you, Brandy. You are the best fathers I could possibly have," Sean said reaching his hand over and squeezing Max's.
"I love you too, Dad. And you're the bestest Second Dad I could have..." Murph said to Brandy. He got up and went down to Brandy's end of the table and gave him a hug that barely reached around his large frame.
"I hope you all will enjoy your dinner," Max concluded.
Just as Max finished speaking, a harpist began her serenade, a soft and elegant sound that would allow one to mistake the present for a touch of heavenly bliss on earth.
"May I propose a toast," Kevin said looking around at the boy's goblets. "Waiter, could you provide each boy a taste of wine in his glass; so that they may participate in our toast?"
"Yes, Sir," and at once four waiters were pouring perhaps an ounce of red cabernet sauvignon into each boy's glass and filling the goblets of the other gentlemen more generously.
"Again, may I propose a toast to the most remarkably unselfish men I have ever met: Maxmillian and Brandon. Men who carry on their duties to their friends and family and have an abundance of love left for each other. May we only be so fortunate to benefit from our emulation of their loving natures, and may they-- and everyone present here this evening-- have good fortune and very long, happy, and love-filled lives."
At which point the men raised their glasses and shouted, "Here, here...."
The boys watched closely and copied their elders yelling "here, here..." somewhat raggedly and out of sync, but nonetheless in the spirit of the toast.
All eight had a wonderful meal and enjoyed the good time that being together afforded them. It was quite late when they finished at the Earl of Thomond, and everyone was pleasantly relaxed from the wine and the excellent cuisine-- with the exception of the boys, who were not allowed to indulge more than the one ounce sip of wine at the toast. But being included in the toast made each of the boys feel that indeed he was on his way to manhood, and that he had an important place to occupy, and a secure and loved place in his family as he grew.
These men certainly knew how to be excellent fathers and parents. Perhaps the boys didn't realize that fact at the moment, but as they grew in age and wisdom, this truth would become ever so apparent to them. Just ask papa...
As everyone began to retire to their rooms, Nicky and Jilder asked, "Dad, do we have to stay in our room tonight? Can we sleep over at Murph's and Sean's?"
Brandy turned to Max with a big smile on his face and said, "Bingo! Did I NOT mention something to that effect, Max??"
"You are a veritable soothsayer, Brandy." I can only hope your business hunches are so accurate."
Hugo said, "Am I missing something?" He looked at Kevin who was standing there looking somewhat puzzled too.
"I don't think so," Kevin answered, "But I believe there's a message in the air of the unspoken variety..."
"Hummm?" Hugo mumbled.
"Excuse us, Kevin, Hugo, I'll fill you in a little later," Brandy said still smiling.
Kevin turned to Nicky and Jilder and said, "Well, boys, I don't mind, and I'd guess that it's okay with Hugo, although you'll need to ask him too, but you really must first ask Murph's and Sean's dads if they will allow you to sleep in their Suite tonight?"
Nicky turned to Max and Brandy and said, "It would be so cool if Jilder and me could spend the night with Sean and Murph. It would be just like home in Dublin... Do you mind?"
Youngsters are very direct and clear with their communications. Duplicity is not usually their style. They can learn it when the world teaches them manipulation... But so far, these boys were innocents.
Brandy looking directly at Max answered Nicky saying, "Why, Nicky, that's a very good idea. How ever did you think of it... Boys (speaking to Sean and Murph), how does that sound to you...."
"Oh, yeah! Dad. We have a really big room with TWO big beds with plenty of room for everybody," Murph said.
"So is that a "yes", Murph? And are you okay with this arrangement, Sean?" Brandy asked.
"Uh? Well, I still gotta get up all night long to feed Spirit; so I'll have to leave a little light on, but we do that at home too," Sean added.
"Well, as I asked before," Brandy repeated himself. "Is that a "yes", it's okay with you, or do you want to have your room to yourselves tonight?"
"Yeaaaah!" Murph said.
Sean replied with a more sedate, "Yes, I'd like the company."
"Mr. Kramer? Mr. Ramirez? Is this an agreeable arrangement for you?" Brandy asked.
Both Hugo and Kevin nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well then... Just go get your night clothes and toothbrushes, boys, and come on over... Max and I will be turning in very, very soon," Brandy said with a sly smile.
"Kev! Where is your little suitcase?" Hugo whispered in Kevin's ear so that only Brandy understood.
"Mr. Ramirez! WhatEVER are you thinking? I'm SURE you both need your rest... It's been quite a long day," Brandy said with an equally big smile.
And the night commenced, each person finding his peace/piece...
Spirit finished his bottle but was not ready to go back to sleep immediately. Time and the life force had animated Spirit's curiosity. He actually held his head up and his furry eyelids fluttered open. He gazed on his loving keeper for the first time with lovely light-blue-grey eyes. Spirit's eyes sparkled in the dimly lit room, and he bobbed his head and attempted to waddle closer to Sean.
"Hello, boy. You feelin like looking at the world?" Sean said. "Here, let me show you." And Sean picked up the tiny puppy holding him so that he could look around the huge room with his newly opened eyes.
Spirit opened his mouth and yawned, making a little squeeking sound that was beginning to be a recognizable little bark-- well, if you listened closely you'd understand it would be a bark some day...
Nicky and Jilder were settled into their beds, and Murph was tired but still holding onto consciousness sharing Sean's bed while Sean fed Spirit.
Then Sean spoke quietly to Murph, "Will you hold Spirit while I say me prayers?"
"Say what?" Murph said.
"Say me prayers," Sean said, somewhat surprised that Murph didn't understand what he meant.
"Like in church?" Murph asked.
"Uh? I guess..." Sean replied.
A moment of silence ensued, then Murph said "Sure, hand him to me..."
Murph sat up a little and cradled the puppy on his tummy, allowing Spirit to look all around the room while he watched Sean carefully.
Sean slipped out of bed silently and dropped down on his knees next to the bed. Only his head was visible above the covers because the bed was so high off the floor.
Sean closed his eyes and bowed his head until his chin touched the sheets. He folded his hands in front of his chin and spoke softly:
"Now I lay me Down to sleep; I pray the Lord My soul to keep.
If I should die Before I wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take.
God bless me mum and daddy, and make them happy where they are. God bless my new dads, Max and Brandy, and my new brother Murph, and thank you, God, for bringing them all to me. God bless my American friends, Nicky, and Jilder, and Kevin, and Hugo.
Humm? And God help me to be a good person and know how to treat people...
Oh, and please bless Spirit, make him healthy, and show me how to take care of him.
And.... hummm???..... (Sean paused and thought for a moment...) God bless and take care of all the good people who have taken care of me: Jerome and Jimmy and Matilda and everybody at home ... and...
Just Thanks for everything..."
Sean remained silent in place for a moment. Finally he stood and climbed into bed.
"You want me to put Spirit in his bed now?" Sean asked Murph.
Murph shook his head 'No.' "I'll put him in his bed in a minute. I wanna hold him for a little while. Is that okay?" Murph asked softly..
"Of course," Sean replied.
Murph rubbed the wonderful coat on Spirit's back and looked down into the quilt that lie on top of the sheets.
"Do you say prayers all the time?" Murph asked.
"Uh-huh." Sean answered.
"My mom doesn't show me how to say prayers." Murph confessed.
"Oh?" Sean responded
"Yeah. I guess she doesn't know about them." Murph said.
"Well, I can tell you how to do it, if you want me to," Sean offered.
After a moment, Murph answered, "Yeah. I'd like that..."
"Well, do you want to do it right now?" Sean asked.
Again Murph paused a few moments before speaking, "Yeah. Now is good too."
"Well then first you gotta get on the floor and get down on your knees, like you saw me do..." Sean said.
Murph handed Spirit to Sean and slipped quietly out of bed, walking around to Sean's side of the bed where he could speak softly and only Sean would hear him.
Sean began, "Now. I'll say a line, and then you say it after me... Try to remember it, if you can... But I'll tell you again if you forget."
And Sean began: "Now I lay me..."
"Now I lay me..." Murph repeated.
"Down to sleep."
"Down to sleep."
Sean went on: "I pray the Lord..."
"I pray the Lord..." Murph copied him.
"My soul to keep..."
"My soul to keep..."
"Okay. Now the second verse," Sean said.
"Okay. Now the...."
"No. No. No! ... THAT'S not a part of the prayer... I'm just tellin you that you learned the FIRST part. Now you gotta learn the SECOND part..." Sean interrupted.
"Oh! Okay..." Murph replied..."OKay, I'm waitin..."
Sean began again, "If I should die..."
"If I should die..."
"Before I wake..."
"Before I wake..."
"I pray the Lord..."
"I pray the Lord..."
"My soul to take."
"My soul to take." and Murph started to rise...
"'Cept you're not finished, Murph," Sean said.
"Yeah?" Murph answered.
"You have to ask God to bless all the people that you love, and who are good to you, and you have to ask him to help you to be a good person. You know, Murph, just make it up as you go along... You will want to change this part, maybe every day, maybe just sometimes..." Sean instructed.
"Okay. Let me try..." Murph said. He closed his eyes and began:
"God bless mom in New York and my dads here in Ireland. And thank you God for giving me my brother, Sean. I really like him."
And Murph went silent for a long time waiting for his thoughts to settle....
"God, bless my new friends Nicky and Jilder and their dads...
And, God, bless everybody, 'cause everybody has been very good to me, and they take very good care of me...
And God bless Hugo because he is really happy that he can hear. And I am happy he can hear too. Maybe you can go to the meetings with him; so he won't be afraid...
"Hummmm?"
"Oh, and help me to be a good person, like my brother, Sean... And show me what I need to do to help Sean... (and almost inaudibly) 'caus I love him..."
With that, Murph stood up and walked back around to his side of the bed. He climbed in and asked Sean..."Did I do okay?"
"Yeah! I think so. But it's only important that GOD hears you. It doesn't matter what somebody else thinks about your prayers. They're between you and God," Sean said.
"Humm." Murph said in deep thought.
Sean got up and went over and placed his sleeping puppy into the puppy's bed; then he moved the puppy's basket over onto a big chair and dragged the chair up right next to his side of the bed.
"I'll try not to bother you when I feed Spirit," Sean said softly.
"You don't ever bother me, Sean," Murph said.
With that, Murph slipped down and put his head on the pillow, twisted around until he was comfortably on his side facing Sean. He closed his eyes and said, "Thank you, Sean, for teaching me how to say prayers..... I love you."
"I love you too, Murph," Sean replied. And he too slipped down under the covers and put his head on his pillow, turned with his back to Murph, and snuggled backward until he was spooning with his brother. Murph instinctively put his arms around Sean...
And the day ended.