I knocked on the door of Coach Johnson's house. My life for the past month was a three-ring circus of interviews, television appearances, and autographs. Dad and Uncle Jack decided to take the rest of the summer off, and were there with me every step of the way. Uncle Jack even went out, and got me an agent, and decided to be my manger. Now it was time for me to say good-bye to my coach until we would meet again to train for the Olympics Trials.
Cassandra answered the door, and just let out a scream. In no time at all, there were 5 other girls standing behind her at the door. "Told you all I new him, " she spat out with attitude.
"Cassandra how are you doing you fine looking young girl!"
"Jett you better watch what you say to me, because I will be all over you in a minute!
We all burst out laughing.
Jett can I have your autograph?"
"I will do one better Cassandra," I said as I bent down, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
"Oh Lord! I ain't ever going to wash this cheek again."
"Cassandra will you let Jet in!" I heard Coach Johnson shout from behind the door.
"That's ok Coach, I can't stay long."
"So are you off to school soon?"
"Yeah in a couple days, I will do a semester of school, and then come back to train with you the rest of the time for the Olympic Trials in the summer."
"You know you don't have to do that!"
"I would stay, and take the whole year off school to train here, but there are a few things I have to do at school this semester. I need to be here for the rest of my training, this is where my best coaching and support systems are."
"Well you take care of yourself, and don't get injured!"
"I will coach, and thanks for everything! We did pretty good, didn't we?"
Coach gave me a big hug, and we said our good byes. I hopped in my car, and headed for home to spend the rest of my time with Dad and Uncle Jack.
I drove my car up, and looked at our happy home in a different light. Uncle Jack moved in, and he and Dad were driving me up a wall with their "old married couple" arguments. Anne seemed happier because Uncle Jack was listening to Dad complain, and giving her relief from it. Me, I was the happiest of all, because I had the most complete family any gay male could want, well except I was hoping one more person would enter the picture.
I came into the house, and found the two men sitting on the back porch staring out at the pool in silence. I sat down at the table and blurted out, "Sandwich Island!"
Dad lifted that eyebrow, and said, "What are you talking about Jett?"
"I want to name the island, Sandwich Island."
"Where did you come up with that name?"
"Well Earl of Sandwich was a famous person, so no one will question it. When we were all lying in bed together that one night on the island, and I was at peace. I remember thinking that I had the perfect sandwich. Dad, you were on one side, Jack, you where on the other, and all I could feel from you two was all the love and security anyone in the world could ever want."
"Dad raised his glass of raspberry ice tea and said, "Sandwich Island it is!"
Anne walked out on the patio, and informed Uncle Jack that there was a young man at the door asking for him. Dad raised his one bushy eyebrow at him, and Jack swore he new nothing about the visitor. I laughed deep down inside of me. He left us there, and we stared out into the pool in silence.
Jack went towards the front door and standing in the doorway was a blonde haired, tall, built young man of about 18 years. Jack had never seen the young man before, and was baffled at what the young man could want.
"I'm Jack, what can I do for you?"
"Oh hello sir. You don't know who I am. My mom thought I should come here, and visit you if I could before I went to college. She says she's your sister. Her name is Susan. Do you know who I am talking about?"
"Your Susan's son?"
"Yes sir! Ethan is the name, Ethan Bowles sir. I am driving cross-country before I start football training next week, and this is the address she had for you. I thought I would come here first before I went to her brother Bob's house in Buffalo, and then down to South Bend, Indiana. She said you were the person to talk to about college football, so I looked you up on the Internet and, geez, I can't believe I am related to you."
"Bob lives in Buffalo?"
"Well from what I could find out about him on the Internet, he has a computer business in Buffalo. I am hoping it's the right person."
"Here come in! How is your mom doing? Where does she live? Does she do anything for a living?"
"This is an incredible place sir!
"Thanks! You keep playing football hard, and you might have a place just like it. Now what about your mom?"
"Her and Pop are pretty much dead beats. They live off the government. I have three older stepsisters who pretty much do the same thing. They all live in Oklahoma City. I pretty much hated it at home, so I got my first job at 14, and moved out of the house at 16. I worked real hard at football, and school, and got myself a full ride to Notre Dame."
"What position do you play?"
"Same position you played, tight end. Ma thought you could give me some pointers before I got to training camp. I am hoping real bad to start this year."
"Come with me. I got some friends I want you to meet."
The door to the patio opened, and I looked back to see Uncle Jack with a tall blonde man a little younger than me. Dad looked as if he was going to have a coronary when he saw the handsome young man.
"Adam! Jett! This is my sister's son Ethan. He looked me up, and wanted to come see me before he went to football training camp at Notre Dame. He plays tight end."
"Oh my God," Ethan spat out, "You are Jett Wickler! Man you were so awesome on TV. You made those Russians look so bad. I don't think their coach liked you." Ethan paused, looked around, and finished, "What is it with this area of the country? Do all the famous people hang out together?"
Dad waved his hand and said, "I'm not famous!"
Ethan spat back, "Yeah you are! Your Adam Wickler, and you played for the Jets. In one game you blocked three punts, and ran one of them back for a touchdown!"
"How do you know all this stuff?" I had to ask.
"Well when Uncle Jack bought me a computer when I was 12, I kind of became a computer geek. I just know everything about football from the Internet."
"I bought you a computer?"
Dad gave Uncle Jack a weird look, and started shaking his head up and down.
"Oh that computer, I forgot about that. What else did your mother say about me?"
"Well not too much. Mostly stuff I wouldn't say in a first meeting."
"Ethan have a seat," Dad invited. "We are pretty open people here you can be open on the first meeting."
Ethan sat down, and started spilling the beans; "Well she thinks you are gay because Old Man Willard used to do things to you. She thinks you are in the mafia, and to tell you the truth I was expecting to get searched by body guards when I got here."
"Well she got one of them right," Uncle Jack shouted.
Ethan got the joke right away, and said, "Oh I don't mind about that stuff. God put everyone on this earth..."
"You guys!" Uncle Jack interrupted. "Ethan says my brother Bob lives in Buffalo. He was going to stay in a hotel, and visit him tomorrow. I was wondering if we should just have Ethan stay the night here, and we can all go see my brother tomorrow."
"I am game for it," I raised my hand saying. Dad agreed.
While Uncle Jack was getting Ethan settled in a room, I raised my one eyebrow at Dad in a serious look, and asked, "So you think now that Uncle Jack has a real nephew, that I should start calling him Dad?"
"I don't know? Do you want to?"
"Well he always felt like a second dad to me, I was wondering if you would be all right with it?"
"I think we would both like that a lot Jett."
"So Dad where did this computer come from?"
"It's not important."
"Dad!"
"Ok! Every once in a blue moon his sister would write. She thought he lived here for some reason, so the letters came here. Well Uncle Jack didn't want them, and told me to throw them out. You know me. I would read them. She always talked about Ethan, how he was smart, and a straight A student. One time she wrote, and asked for a computer for him. I went, and bought the best lap top I could find, and sent it there."
"And?"
"And what?"
"Dad I know there is more to the story."
"Damn it Jett! Why do you know me so well? She wrote recently about his scholarship to Notre Dame. So I wrote back, and told her that it would be a great idea if Ethan came, and visited. I told her that Jack could probably really help him out in his college football career."
"Dad! You are the devil! But after a stunt like that, don't you ever think that I won't love you till the end of time."
"Well something had to be done!"
We both laughed. I walked over to my dad, and squeezed him from behind giving him a peck on the cheek.
Ethan was a bowl of information at dinner that night. He was a smart kid, with a great head on his shoulders, and we all knew he was going to do just fine. Jack seemed so proud of him, even though they had just met. I guess blood relatives can always feel that connection.
We went up to Buffalo to visit Jack's long lost brother. It was a big surprise for him, and even though he had big issues with the family, and Jack, the two began to hash things out. Bob brought out a huge scrapbook he had made of Jack's football career, and by the end of the day the two promised to stay in touch. We all came home a larger family.