The computer shop was filled with computer screens, and giant video screens with explosions emanating from them, and laser beams, and high tech music videos accompanying other screens with hyper rock music and flashing colored lights; and everything was happening at once, and all of the boys were immersed in the wonderful chaos, and delighting in every minute of the marvelous cacophony!
The dads stood together observing their boys, unable to converse among themselves. Who could hear his own heart beat in this place?
Finally, Max motioned for the other dads to follow him; he exited the shop and the others were right behind him.
Outside they looked at one another smiling and laughing a little at the absurdity of the computer shop.
"I know I'M IN the computer business, but I'd never survive if it were all like THAT!" Max said.
Hugo replied, "A good part of the intensity of that place follows from the audience they're trying to reach. You could see how completely ALL of the boys were into their diversions. Just be happy you don't YET have all of those screens at home!"
"That thought has not escaped my consideration. Thank God the house is big. I could actually tolerate a good bit of noise by retreating to an obscure corner of the place," Max said.
"Maybe we could get SMALLER versions of the games, if the boys decide they want something," Brandy said, already considering a strategy for survival...
"I'm just glad that we don't have any such computer shops around San Diego. Ours are much less dramatic. This one is more like a night club, than a computer store," Kevin observed.
At that moment all four boys burst through the door of the computer shop yelling for their dads...
"Dad," Murph said. "Nicky and Jilder both have laptops like they sell in this store. You know, Dad, I emailed you using their laptops when we were on the plane. Do you think you could get me one. I could email you a lot, and it wouldn't seem like we lived so far apart... Right?"
"[Oh, man, has that kid got the key to his dad's heart-- and probably shortly his wallet too, when he puts things the way he did that request for a laptop,]" Kevin thought.
"Well, Murph," Max replied, "I do think you have a point there. You and I ought to become email partners. I'd like that. Does mom have a computer?"
"Yeah! But she won't let me use it, because she says that she needs it for her work, and she doesn't want me messing it up," Murph said.
"Well, did you see any laptops like Nicky's in the shop there?" Max asked.
"Ummm? No, not really. But they had lots of laptops; so I bet we could find something that would work good for me." Murph said.
"And, Dad, I think you should buy a laptop for Sean too. I'd like to email him. I'm going to email Nicky and Jilder and Kevin and Hugo... That ought to be so fun," Murph suggested.
"Well, Murph, that is indeed a very good idea," Max said. And then turning to Sean, Max said, "Sean? Do you think you'd like a laptop computer that you could write letters to Murph on?"
Jilder interrupted Max's query to Sean saying, "Yeah! and Sean you could get some video games like the ones we saw in the computer shop. They're awesome! You'd like em..."
Sean had been happily joined with the boys talking as they all played video games and lunged to the kick-boxing videos, but now that the conversational spotlight had shifted directly onto him, he suddenly went silent with an expression of fright on his face. Max was asking HIM whether he might like a laptop.... HIM.... SEAN!
"Uh... Sir... that would be especially nice, but, Uh, Sir... I don't know what to say... I haven't done anything to buy it, and you should keep your money for Murph and Brandon and... Uh... for things you need...."
And then he stepped away from Max into the safety of the cluster of other boys standing there, right next to Murph. Somehow being right next to Murph made him feel a little safer.
"We'll allow you and Murph to decide what would be best, Sean. What do you say we go back into the shop, into the laptop section, and see if there's anything we like... Okay?"
"Yes, Sir. Are Brandy and Murph going to go with us?" Sean asked.
"Of course, we'll ALL go.." Max said kindly, as he walked over and held the door open for everyone.
An hour later everyone left the computer shop, Murph and Sean each carrying large white boxes containing laptop computers.
"I'll show you how to get a email account, Sean," Nicky said.
Then he turned to Max and asked, "Do you have a wifi in your house, Max?"
"Yes, we do as a matter of fact," Max replied.
"Good. We can have Sean writing us emails tonight..."
"That sounds marvelous, Nicky. However, tonight perhaps you boys will want to pack your things for our drive over to Castle Dromoland tomorrow morning. You can teach Sean all about his laptop while we're at Dromoland... I'm sure they have wifi there too." Max said.
"Yeah. And Jilder and I will have our laptops too. Cool!" Nicky replied.
Brandy spoke to Max, "Aren't we forgetting something? I think that we need to shop a bit for a few things that Sean can wear while we are on our trip?"
"Sir. Do we have to shop more for me?" Sean said again seeming to be feeling another panic coming on.
Brandy stepped over to Sean and put his hands on Sean's shoulders and began to rub them as he spoke softly, "If you really think that you don't want to go with me to shop for you, I'll go alone and buy things that I think will look nice on you. I think--if you went along-- you might like some things you see, and maybe not like some others. It would probably be safer to go along, Sean, and keep me from making some bad mistakes... It's been a long time since I was your age; so I might not remember what is best... Do you think you might go with me and give me advice on what's best?" Brandy was at a total loss to deal with Sean. The boy seemed incapable of accepting ANYTHING for himself... It took Murph to encourage him to let Max buy the laptop.
Sean just clutched the big box containing the laptop and looked over at Murph with desperation in his eyes. "Murph, could you go with me to get something to wear... that is, with me and Brandy and your dad? I'd really like that..." He spoke with pleading in his voice.
Murph, not really aware of the acute distress building in Sean, was ready to do most anything that promised to be an entertaining experience. "Sure, Sean, that would be cool... What do you like? Jeans? How about a hoodie or some sweat shirts with wild animals on them?" And after just an instant of thought: "But no spiders on em, right?"
Sean answered, "What's a hoodie?"
"Uh.. that's a soft jacket-like thing with a zipper in the front that has a warm hood that you can put around your head, and you can tighten the strings," Murph tried to explain.
"Oh." Sean answered but just stood there not moving.
"Well, come on, Sean... We don't have all day," Murph chided...
"Oh... Where are we going?" he asked Murph.
"I don't know. Brandy and Dad will show us. Come on... Oh, first.... 'DAD... can we take our laptops to the car and then go shopping for Sean's stuff? Jerome will be there; so nobody can steal it.'"
An hour and a half later the small mob of dads and sons left Ryan's Emporium, Fine Clothing for Men and Boys. Both Max and Brandy carried several large plastic sacks of clothes for everybody, but mostly for Sean.
Brandy and Max thoroughly enjoyed shopping for Sean, even though poor Sean was visibly uncomfortable the whole time. He just didn't know what to make of the abundance he was shown, and then when he was called upon to take some for himself, he was paralyzed and just couldn't choose. At that point, Max would step in and "suggest" one or two of "these" or one of "those"...and Sean shook his head in the affirmative, not truly grasping that he was being given the handsome garments for his very own.
Max enjoyed the shopping so much that he insisted on buying hoodies in different colors for all of the boys. Nicky and Jilder were delighted, selecting the most outrageous and eye-catching graphics. They all insisted on wearing their new hoodies out of the store.
Sean donned his hoodie, a striking bright blue one that he'd approved, with silver and white graphics of a flying unicorn escaping into the clouds, and he joined the other boys as they bounded out of the clothing shop ahead of their dads.
"How are you two holding up," Max asked Hugo and Kevin.
"Actually, I'm doing very well, but I have to admit that I'm beginning to feel a little hungry," Hugo replied.
"Yep. I'm fine, but I'm getting hungry too," Kevin added.
Brandon spoke up, "I don't know whether you noticed the outdoor cafe back in the direction we came, in the direction of the Computer shop, but we could sit outside under the umbrellas and have lunch."
"That would be just fine for me," Hugo answered.
"Me too," Kevin confirmed.
"Okay, boys!" Brandy yelled, "We're going to walk back toward the Computer Shop... You guys turn around and lead on in that direction."
Upon hearing Brandy, all four boys made an abrupt reverse and began hurrying back to the Computer Shop. Not more than two doors away, Kevin and Hugo saw the cafe with it's bright yellow umbrellas and bright colored summer flowers in pots all around the premises.
"Over there!" Brandy hollered out again pointing to the cafe. "Those yellow umbrellas... We're going to stop and get a little lunch... You guys hungry?"
In minutes the boys were all crowded around one umbrella-shaded, round table, while their dads were taking an adjacent one.
Brandy looked at his menu and addressed everyone at the table, "Everything they serve here is delicious. I'm sure you'll enjoy anything you order."
Max turned to his left and spoke to the boys sitting at the next table: "You boys take a look at the menu and decide what you want, then let me know what you're going to order before the waiter comes to your table."
Then more confidentially Max spoke to the others at his table, "I can't imagine what they'll come up with, but I thought I'd trust them until I discover that I need to step in."
Kevin answered, "We typically do the same thing, except in the United States, at restaurants we frequent, the menus all have large color photographs of the food items, which helps the boys a good deal, I think..."
Brandon said, "I think I'll go over there and see if any of them have any questions..." and he stood and excused himself before stepping over to the boy's table.
Brandy went on, "Okay, guys. Who has a question? Do you see anything you might like to eat?"
"Hummmm? I don't understand the words," Murph said. "They're about things like I don't see in New York."
"Let me help then..." Brandy said.
"First there are chicken dinners, with your choice of pomme frites or Irish boiled potatoes; then you have beef in little steaks with onions and your choice of vegetables, mashed potatoes, pomme frites, irish boiled potatoes (you can have a salad or other green leafy vegetable with any of it); Uh? there's potato salad that you can get with a hamburger; there's fish-n-chips; there's tacos and burritos; there's...
Nicky interrupted Brandy, "What's the fish-n-chips? I like salmon in San Diego.."
"Well, fish is fish and... uh... chips are..., 'Kevin! What do you call chips in the US?"
Kevin called over loudly, "The boys would recognize French fries, but they'll think of them cut in shoe-string size. You might explain how they're a little different here..."
After hearing Brandy explaining the menu, Jilder called out, "I want the fish-n-chips and a lemonade."
"Yeah," Murph, chimed in... "I'd like that too."
"Me too," Kevin said. "With lemonade."
Sean was the last to decide. He had listened carefully to Brandy explain the menu, but he wasn't used to having to choose from such abundance. Again, he was a little over-whelmed, but he tried to save face in front of the rest of the boys. "Yes. I think I'd like fish-n-chips too, but could I have hot tea to drink?"
Brandon patted Sean on the shoulder, rubbed it a bit in circles and replied, "That sounds fine to me, Sean. Are you sure you wouldn't like a salad with that too?"
Sean's eyes rose to the top of his eye sockets, looking up at nothing, his finger went to his mouth, as he thought for a moment, "Hummmmm? Yes. That would be good too. Thank You."
"Well, that was easy," Brandy said. "You boys order for yourselves when the waiter comes to your table," and he smiled, patted Sean on the back again, and returned to the table with the other dads.
"Brandy, what are you going to have?" Max asked when Brandy returned.
"How about a Chinese chicken salad with black bread and hot tea? I love their sesame sauce here."
Just at that moment, a waiter walked up to the table with Max and the others, "Have the gentlemen had time to decide on their orders?"
"I think so," Max said looking around the table to the others.
"Let's let our American guests order first," Max said with a smile.
"Very good. I'll have the baked pigeon with spinach and onions," Kevin said.
"Kev! I've never known you to be so exotic. Is this a side of you that you've been hiding?" Hugo joked with Kevin.
"Oh, Babe! You don't KNOW how exotic I really am..." and he leaned over and gave Hugo a little peck on the cheek.
Hugo beamed in delight to receive Kevin's attention in front of the whole table and said, "I'll look into those details more a little later, Kev.."
Brandy smiled and laughed and turned to Max, "You see, Max... I'm not the only one who likes a little of the exotic in my private life..."
"Yes, Brandy, but the waiter is more interested in our ORDERS at the moment, not our intimate tastes!"
The waiter just stood with his pencil poised on his pad smiling and waiting, "No inconvenience, at all, Sir... It's good to see the gentlemen enjoying themselves..."
"Well, at any rate.... Hugo. Would you like to order next?" Max smiled and offered magnanimously.
"I'd like the baked chicken with broccoli and beets... and hot tea also."
"Very good, Sir," the waiter replied and said, "And you, Sir?" referring to Max.
"I'd like the baked chicken with broccoli too, but please add boiled potatoes. I think I'll have the hot tea as well." Max said.
"Excellent," the waiter replied. "Now would you like for me to take the boys' orders?"
"Yes." Max said. "And if you have any problems just ask us over here. We've prepped them; so I think they'll be able to function adequately..."
"Very good, Sir." And the waiter turned to the boys, each one of whom rattled off his previously chosen lunch order. In the end, the waiter had no questions and left the two tables of guests to head for the kitchen.
Everyone enjoyed the lunch conversation and even the boys seemed to enjoy talking about what boys think is interesting.
"Dad, we've finished, can we go walking up and down looking at the shops?" Murph called over to his dad at the other table.
"If Kevin and Hugo think it would be alright for Nicky and Jilder to go too, we're fine with it, Murph. Just stay on this concourse. Don't venture across the traffic to other sections... It could be dangerous.."
"Sure, Dad.... Come on, guys! Let's go," Murph called out jumping up from the table and navigating between flower pots. Sean followed closely behind Murph.
"Nicky, Jilder, you follow Max's instructions EXACTLY about staying on this side of the street. And don't be gone too long, maybe 15 minutes..." Kevin yelled to his kids as they followed Murph and Sean between the flower pots, not one of them tipping over a single pot. Such agility nature bestows upon children: it's a joy to watch.
And the boys were off
Max turned to Kevin and said, "Well, you've been witnessing our special attention to Sean. I can hardly believe the boy has been so thoroughly deprived of his desires that he doesn't even know how to receive a gift of any sort... It's truly perplexing to me."
"Sure. I can understand your reaction. But, Max, both you and Brandy handle him so artfully, I can't believe that he will not venture out of his cautiousness eventually-- and probably much sooner than you might think. Children are so resilient when given the chance."
"Oh, thank you, Kevin. I appreciate the encouraging words. But I just cannot imagine WHAT we'd have done if your boys were not here to normalize situations that Sean views as traumatic..."
"I think you've got a point, Max," Hugo said. And can you miss how much Sean has bonded with Murph. It's like they're blood brothers who have been together from the beginning. Sometimes I think Murph acts like the 'big' brother, helping Sean to negotiate situations that Murph takes in stride. Other times I see Sean being protective of Murph. They make a wonderful pair of siblings."
"Thank you for your assessment, Hugo. But it's just that kind of thinking that makes me dread the moment when Murph will have to board a plane and return to New York, leaving Sean alone back here with Brandy and me."
"Oh, give him time, Max," Brandon said. He reached over to Max and rubbed his arm as he spoke again, "Sean seems comfortable with you and me, Max. To ME, he simply cannot grasp that he has found his way out of a very harsh life, and he isn't at all sure that you and I won't reject him eventually too. That's the real issue for us, I'm speculating..."
Max, looking down and somewhat saddened, began to speak: "I haven't had a chance to discuss this with you, Brandy, but when I telephoned the Carlton Hotel governor two nights ago, to speak with him about the incident in the terrace dining room and about Sean, he told me a little about the boy's history.
One November night, two years ago, it was foggy and drizzly, the kind of night that Irish winters were apt to include quite often. The kitchen at the Ritz Carlton was brightly lit, just glowing and humming with activity. There was a huge demand from the main dining room, and the kitchen was performing at maximum capacity.
A small figure appeared at the brightly lit washing rack where kitchen mats and garbage cans were emptied and cleaned. A young man hauling out the mats saw the figure, just a child, and shouted out, "Evenin Governor. You looking for somebody?"
The figure looked startled but stood there not answering.
The kitchen employee put his mats and hose down and went over to the small figure. "My, my, not a very big one, are ya... Are you sure you aren't lookin for somebody?"
"No, Sir," the boy answered in a very small voice.
"Well, then, what brings ya out here on such a nasty night?"
"Uh... I smelled food cooking, and I thought maybe there would be some I could eat. I don't have no money, but I could work-- maybe help you wash the mats and cans or something..." the boy said.
The kitchen employee replied, "Well, well. I think we ought to go inside and see what might be available for a wee one like you to eat. After you're tummy is full, then we can think about work. Will that be good for ya?"
"Oh, yes, Sir. Very, VERY good."
And the employee led the boy into the warm and brightly lit kitchen, shuffled around gathering food from this stove top and that serving dish and finally returning to the boy with a fine and ample dinner.
"And what be your name, son?" the employee asked.
In between gulps and huge bites the boy replied, "I be Sean."
"Oh, are ya? And that would be Sean who?"
"Just Sean, Sir."
"Hummmm? I don't think I ever met a boy with only one name. You sure you don't have another one too?"
"No, Sir. Just Sean." And the boy went on eating.
The kitchen employee went about his business cleaning the large rubbish containers and mats. He'd walk back into the kitchen periodically to see whether the boy was still eating. And on one trip he saw that Sean had eaten every drip and crumb on the plate.
"Now, Sir, I think I can help you wash the tubs." Sean said to the man.
"Well, that be very nice, son. But tonight, since I'm almost finished, I won't be need'n any help. You can go on your way and come back tomorrow and we'll have some work for you. I'll talk to me manager before then."
Sean replied, "That would be good, Sir. Can I really go now?"
And the employee answered, "Of course, I hope to see ya back here tomorrow, if you wanna help me. I think maybe me manager might pay you a wee bit for your work, and you can buy your food and other things. Oh, and why don't you take these rolls and potatoes to eat if you are hungry."
"Oh, Sir. That would be so good. Thank you, Sir,,, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you..." and the boy smiled, stuffed the rolls and potatoes in his pockets, and shook the mans hand a very long time.
Brandy asked, "Max, you mean they just hired the boy without any inquiry about his family, where he'd come from, anything? How did they know he was healthy enough to work?"
Max turned to Brandy and looked him in the eye. "Those were exactly the questions I asked the hotel Governor. And he told me that in snippets of conversation over the months, the kitchen employee who had befriended Sean, surmised the following:
"Sean!" his mum called up to him in his bedroom from the dining room, "Have you turned out those lights?"
"Yes, Mum."
"That's better. You need to get on to sleep. You've got to go back to school tomorrow."
"Yes, Mum. Good night."
"Good night, Baby. I love you."
Moments later there was an awful loud crash as the window glass in the dining room shattered and fell to the floor.
Sean's mum screamed "No, No... Nooooooo"
Countless sprays of machine gun fire played across the walls and ceiling of the dining room.
Sean though terrified, knew what was happening. He had heard his father and the men talking about the revolution, but he didn't understand any of it.
In a flash Sean heard heavy boot steps running up the stairs. Something inside of him said, "Get under the bed!"
The door opened and a soldier looked around the bedroom quickly and seeing the bed empty, ran back down the steps.
Men were talking and shouting at each other. Sean couldn't make out what they were saying, only that there was anger and confusion and cursing...
Then the men ran out as quickly as they had appeared. Sean lay under his bed for what seemed like eternity. His heart was pounding in his chest and he wanted to cry, but he dare not make a sound, lest the men return and silence him forever.
Eventually Sean crawled out from under his bed. He knew he had to leave to avoid detection by the same men who killed his parents. They would want to kill him too. That's the way this revolution worked. It seemed to Sean that everyone killed everyone... He couldn't make any sense of it at all...
Finally, he got up his courage, and he crept downstairs. Seeing that only the slumped bodies of his mum and dad were left in the house, he hurried out the back, being careful to determine in advance that no one saw him running away.
Sean ran and he ran and he ran. He ran until the sun came up, then he collapsed in an abandoned shed somewhere along some road to somewhere... Sean had no idea what he was going to do. He was terrified for his life. But he collapsed in the shed from exhaustion. And he slept.
Brandy spoke. Sean's story was incredulous to him, "You mean that boy WALKED from Northern Ireland to Dublin?!"
Max still had his eyes cast down unable to look at anyone, and he spoke quietly, "Yes. Apparently so..."
Kevin looked at Hugo. They said nothing because they were both in shock at the incredible story that they had just heard. All four men sat together in complete silence.
Max put both of his hands to his temples and held his head, shaking it back and forth saying softly, "No, No, No..." He was overcome with grief, and he began to cry quietly at the horror his boy had endured for some political purpose. Why did human beings do these horrible things to each other? he thought... Now he understood why Sean threw his last name away. He feared that the men would be after him.
"Dad! Dad! We couldn't get Sean to come back to the cafe with us. You better go get him!" Murph babbled as the three boys ran up to the table where their dads were seated. Nicky and Jilder crowded around their dads and began explaining...
Max looked up quickly, "Where is he, Murph?"
"He's down at the pet store. We all went inside to see the animals, but when it was time to leave, Sean wouldn't leave the white puppy he found there. He sat in the cage with the puppy, just talking to him, and not listening to me or Nicky or Jilder... not AT ALL, Dad!" Murph explained.
"That's all right, Murph. Sean will be okay. We'll go to the pet shop for him now."
Max lay the equivalent of $200 in Irish currency down on the table, then he rose and asked Murph, "Please show us where Sean is, Murph..."
Murph and the other boys started to run back in the direction from which they had come... heading toward the pet shop. Max and Brandy were only a short distance behind, not really trying to run as fast as the boys were going, but in serious pursuit nonetheless.
Kevin looked around to be sure that everyone had gathered their belongings, and then he and Hugo too jogged off after the others.
The boys were the first to arrive at the Pet Shoppe. They didn't go in but just pointed through the window to Sean who was sitting inside of a puppy cage holding a white Malamud puppy that had not yet even opened its eyes. He held the pup like a baby, and he was talking to it.
Max got to the door along with Brandy. The two of them went inside together and walked over to the pen in which Sean was sitting.
"My what a beautiful puppy you have, Sean." Max said in a kindly voice.
"Yes! Isn't he beautiful? I talked to the shopkeeper and asked him where his mum was. The shopkeeper said that his mum died, and he didn't have nobody to care for him now. He's little; he don't open his eyes; and he needs somebody to feed him a bottle every few hours until he gets big enough so he can eat what big dogs eat."
Sean continued, "I've talked to him and told him that he doesn't have to worry anymore, I'll feed him. I'll make sure he won't go hungry. I can work and pay the shopkeeper and pay for his food and mine, and then he can always eat."
Max spoke again, "My, that's a very loving thing to do, Sean. I'm sure he feels better knowing that someone is going to feed him when he gets hungry."
"Yes. I hope so," Sean said, not looking at either Max or Brandy when he spoke. He just kept looking at the puppy and stroking his head, as the puppy slept peacefully in his arms."
"Sean," Max spoke quietly.
"Huh?" Sean said, still gently rubbing the puppy's head.
"Maybe you can understand what I'm going to say... I hope so.... I'd like you to know that I feel the same way about you, as you feel about the puppy. I know something terrible happened to you, just like something terrible happened to this puppy--he lost his mum."
Sean continued to rub the puppy while Max spoke, but when Max mentioned that the puppy lost his mum, Sean squeezed the puppy close to his chest, lowered his head and cried silently into the puppy fur. Long heaves of grief followed.
Brandy got down on his knees and put his arms around both Sean and the puppy while he cried.
Max went on, "And just like you promised to the puppy, I'm promising to you, Sean, I will give you food when you're hungry and care for you in every way possible, just like you want to care for the puppy. I'll work and earn money to buy food for both you and me and Brandy and now for this beautiful puppy that is yours too. And Brandy and I will never ever leave you. We love you so much, Sean...The men who destroyed your home the first time have no power here in our land. You are safe here with me and Brandy."
Sean turned, and with the puppy still asleep in his arms, fell into Max's arms, pulling Brandy along with him in one heap of dead weight. Sean held no part of himself in reserve. And he cried on and on and on... so deeply... in the loving embrace of his two new fathers...