Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes

Two nights later, around 8:00, the phone rang and my dad answered it.  He then called for my mom and me to join him as he put the phone on speaker.  I was surprised to hear Pa’s voice after my dad stated we were all there. 

“Have you found any place where they’ll be having music on New Year’s Eve where we’ll all be able to dance?” 

“Yes, but I want to make certain that all of you agree with that option first, before I make the arrangements.”

“Ok, then tell us what you’ve discovered.”

“The local Elks Lodge has hired a DJ for New Year’s Eve and they have a decent size dance floor where we’ll be able to dance.  They also have a liquor license and a bar, so we’ll be able to enjoy a few drinks as well.” 

“Ok, but don’t you have to be a member to go to any functions there?”

“Yes, and I’m a member.  I’m not an active member, but I pay my dues every year so I’m a member in good standing.  Cindy and I go to some of the special functions they hold there, and I’m able to bring guests to some of the activities, including this one.”

“And there’s no problem with the boys being there, since they aren’t old enough to drink?”

“No problem, as long as they’re 18 or older and accompanied by their parents.”

“Will they allow me and Devin to dance with each other?”

“Yes!  I understand the lodge has a couple of gay members now, so you may not be the only gay couple dancing that night.”

“Great!”

“And do you know what type of music they’ll be playing?” Ma wanted to know. 

“I was told the DJ has flash drives with music from the 50s until now and he’ll honor requests for whatever we want to hear.”

“Ok, but what genres of music are you talking about?” Devin pressed.  “I don’t want to listen to old people’s music all night.”

“I knew someone would ask that question, so I asked it as well.  I was told that he has rock n roll, pop, R&B, country, and even some rap, so he should be able to accommodate nearly any request.”

“Then I hope he makes sure different people get a chance to request the songs and he doesn’t just listen to a small group of people.”

“I was told we’ll each have a number on the ticket we’ll use to enter that night and you will need to write that number on any request you submit.  He will use those numbers to make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to have his requests honored.”

“Ok, that sounds good.”

“Then I take it that all of you want me to get tickets for us to go then?”

“Yes!” we all said in unison and quite loudly.

“And just let me know what I owe you for our tickets,” Pa added.

“Ok, I will, and I made our dinner reservation for 7:00.  That should leave plenty of time for us to listen to music, chat, and dance at the Elks Lodge before we head over to the park for the fireworks display.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Ma gushed. 

“Yes, that’s what I told him as well,” my mom added. 

“It sounds good to me too,” Devin chimed in, “as long as I get to dance with Mac.”

“And we’ll try to arrive at your house between 5:00 and 6:00 that evening so we’ll have time to freshen up a bit after the ride there.  Once we’re ready, we can use my SUV to get to those places, since it will easily accommodate six people.”

“Ok, that sounds good,” my dad agreed.  “We’ll see you then.” 

I was thrilled with the plans that had been made, and now I had to contain my excitement long enough to get through the next few days.  I did this by helping my mom get the house ready for the McCaskills to arrive again, since she was working most of the time.  I even fixed dinner each night so my mom wouldn’t have to do it, and I also made a list of the best songs to dance to, so I wouldn’t forget any once we got there.  I know Devin will probably give me crap about making another list, but I don’t care, as long as I get to dance with him to some of the songs on my list.  I’ll even cross them off if someone else requests them instead, because I just want to dance with Devin during as many of those songs as possible. 

The McCaskills arrived around 5:30 on New Year’s Eve, and that gave them plenty of time to freshen up, use the toilet, and have coffee or ice tea before we left.  We were all dressed in our finest clothes, because we agreed this was a very special night.  

Since each of us guys were wearing a suit jacket, our moms decided to wear a light jacket over their dress.  We felt those items would be appropriate and adequate to keep us warm, since we wouldn’t be spending very long out in the cold weather.  However, we all took a heavier coat and a ski hat to wear when we went to watch the fireworks display.  Our moms also brought along a pair of jeans to put on under their dress and socks and athletic shoes to replace the nicer shoes they were wearing once we got to the park. 

When it was time to leave for the restaurant, we all got into Pa’s SUV, and my dad sat next to Pa so he could direct him to the restaurant, since he’d been keeping our destination a secret.  Our moms sat together in the middle row, and Devin and I sat behind them in the final row.  I think we were all mildly surprised when my dad told Pa to pull into the parking lot of one of the finest restaurants in the area.  As soon as we’d all gotten out of the SUV, my dad led us inside and announced the name on the reservation to the hostess.  We then followed her to our table and sat down next to the one we love. 

“I’ve talked to Aaron about this previously and we both agree, so please order whatever you want,” my dad stated.  “It’s a special night and we want everyone to enjoy themselves and not worry about what things cost.”

“I’m just happy that I didn’t have to rush home and fix something for supper,” my mom responded. 

“And I’m glad that we’ll get to dance later,” Ma followed.

“And I’m happy that we’re all doing this together,” I chimed in.

After each of us told the waiter what we wanted to eat, my dad ordered a bottle of wine and six glasses.  He also asked the waiter to place a second bottle on hold for us and bring it to our table once the first bottle was empty.  The waiter agreed to do that, and then he asked to see Devin’s and my identification. 

“These are our sons,” my dad quickly responded, “and they’ve just returned home from college to celebrate the holidays with us.  We intend to celebrate tonight properly and I hope that won’t be a problem.”

“I agree with my good friend,” Pa quickly added.  “I don’t believe that allowing our sons to have a little wine with the meal should be a problem, since we’re giving them our permission.”

The waiter stood speechless for a couple of seconds, but rather than argue with our dads and possibly reduce the tip he’d receive later, he merely nodded.  He returned a short time later with the bottle of wine and six glasses and allowed my dad to inspect the label to make sure it was what he ordered.  Once my dad agreed it was, he then poured a sample in my dad’s glass for him to taste.  As soon as my dad gave his approval, the waiter poured a half-glass for each of us. 

Over the next hour, we enjoyed a very delicious and filling meal, along with a wonderful dessert, and Devin and I got to enjoy a couple of half-glasses of wine as well.  After we finished eating, my dad paid the tab using his debit card and Pa handed my dad enough cash to cover their share of the bill. 

As soon as we left the restaurant, my dad directed Pa on how to get to the Elks Lodge.  When we arrived there, my dad announced his name to the man taking the tickets, and then that man sent another person to the bar to collect the envelope with my dad’s name on it.  As soon as that person returned with the envelope, my dad opened it and handed each of us a ticket so we could enter.  The man then collected our tickets and gave each of us the stub with the important number on it as we went inside. 

We immediately located a table near the dance floor where we could all sit together.  Once we were comfortable, our dads asked what we wanted to drink.  He and Pa then headed to the bar to get them, and when they returned we all sipped our drinks as we listened to the music.  As we’d been informed, the DJ was playing a variety of songs and eventually we started getting up to dance. 

At one point, I noticed there were 3”x7” (7.6x17.8 cm) pads of paper on the table that we could use to write down our requests for the DJ.  After a while, Devin and I took a sheet of paper from the pad and tore it in half before we each wrote down our request.   

“Don’t forget to put your ticket number on your request,” my dad reminded us.  “The DJ might ignore it if the number isn’t included, in order to prevent some people from making additional requests and monopolizing the music.”

We were having a great time, and not only did Devin and I dance with each other, but we also danced with both of our moms.  Our dads were grateful for this, because it gave them a break and a chance to go to the bar to check on the score of the bowl game being played.  They knew they couldn’t do this very often or stay there for too long because they didn’t want to upset their wives, but they weren’t able to go cold turkey from football for even just this one night. 

Even though we were all having a great time, my dad eventually made an announcement.  “It’s time for us to leave here and head over to the park, if you still want to watch the fireworks display at midnight.”

We did, so we left there and Pa drove us over to the park where the fireworks would be set off.  We each put on our heavy coats and ski caps before we got out of the SUV, and our moms also put on a pair of jeans under their dresses and changed their good shoes for socks and sneakers.  We then stood around to see what was going to happen next. 

I was amazed when I saw the number of people that were already there, and it looked as if this was going to be a huge success.  As it got closer to midnight, we heard someone using a bullhorn start the countdown for the final ten seconds until midnight, and we all joined in.  When we reached zero, we all shouted ‘Happy New Year’ as the air filled with a barrage of various types of rockets. 

We wished each other a Happy New Year individually as well, and gave our partner a New Year kiss and a loving squeeze.  I also heard multiple oohs and ahhs all around us as the crowd reacted to the rockets exploding in the air above.  There were also a few cheers from the younger crowd as more rockets exploded, and it was an awesome display as brilliant flashes of light and loud booms filling the air around us.  It only lasted for about fifteen or twenty minutes, and when it ended everyone broke into spontaneous applause. 

“From the way everyone was reacting, I suspect this won’t be just a one-time event,” my dad offered once we were all back in the SUV again.

“Yeah, it was great,” Devin and I agreed. 

“And don’t forget we’ll be waking up early in the morning so we can watch the parades together,” my mom reminded us. 

“Good point,” Ma concurred.

“Don’t worry, Devin and I can handle that, and then we’ll just sleep a little longer tomorrow night.”  

As soon as we reached the house, we all went directly to bed in hopes of getting a few hours sleep before it was time to get up again. 

When my mom woke us up in time to watch the parades, we went downstairs to join our parents.  We watched the Mummers Parade first, since it’s held in Philadelphia and they’re on Eastern Time, and then we all went out to the dining room to eat breakfast.  After we finished devouring everything our moms set in front of us, we settled in to watch the Rose Parade next.  It’s held in Pasadena, which is in California and on Pacific Time, so it had a later starting time.  After spending two hours watching the beautifully crafted floats travel across our television screen, we had a little time remaining until the first football game started, so we agreed to eat again. 

After we finished lunch, Devin and I helped our moms clear the table and then we got ready to do the dishes. 

“Doris and I can handle this, so why don’t you boys go in and join your fathers.  They enjoy it when you spend time watching the football games with them.”

“We’ll do that after we do the dishes, because you and Ma have done enough already.  You made our breakfast, fixed lunch for us, and now you’re already starting to work on supper.”

Our moms just smiled in response and Devin and I did the dishes before we went back to the living room to watch the football games with our dads. 

It was obvious to us that our dads were betting on the games again, so in between watching and listening to them, we also attempted to keep track of the action on the screen.  I believe we were enjoying the interaction between our dads more as they razzed each other when the other team suffered a busted play or a penalty, or as they gloated whenever their team made a big play or scored.  We knew it was all in fun, even though it didn’t always sound friendly and will end up costing the loser a few bucks as well. 

Our moms called us out to eat supper during halftime of one of the later games, and once again Devin and I helped with the clean up and did the dishes when we finished eating.  After that, we went back to the living room and watched the second half and the remaining game with our dads. 

When the final game ended, we all went to bed, but not before we wished each other a Happy New Year one final time.  We also expressed our desire that we all experience pleasant dreams and enjoy a very restful slumber. 

We all slept a little later the following morning, and of course Devin and I slept even later than the others.  After we finished eating our breakfast, Devin went up to my room to pack his belongings, since his parents had packed their suitcase as we were having breakfast.  I then said my personal goodbye to him before we left my room, and when we came downstairs we said goodbye to each other’s parents.  My parents and I then walked them out to their SUV and waved as they drove away. 

Things went back to normal after that and my parents returned to work the following day.  I still had two more weeks until classes started again, but Devin would be showing up in another week.  He was spending the first week with his parents, and then he’d join us for a few days before we drove back to Fort Collins. 

While I was waiting for him to return, I checked to see if my grades had been posted yet, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were.  I was even more pleased when I saw how well I had done and could hardly wait to share this information with Devin.  I was also eager to learn how he had done. 

That evening I shared the information with my parents as soon as they returned home from work and they were also thrilled about it as well. 

“I’m very proud of you, honey,” my mom stated, “and I’m glad to see that living with Devin at the house hasn’t kept you from studying.”

“I told you it wouldn’t.  In fact, it’s helped being in a quieter place.”

“We’re both very proud of your accomplishments,” my dad added.

A couple of days before Devin was supposed to arrive; I was startled when I heard a knock on the front door.  Devin always calls me when he’s on his way here, so I knew it wasn’t him, and I hadn’t heard a vehicle pull in our driveway either.  When I opened the door, there was a large man that I’d never seen before, dressed in a dark blue suit and wearing aviator sunglasses. 

“Are you Michael MacPherson Jr.?” he inquired without any greeting. 

“Not exactly.  I’m Michael MacPherson, but my dad and I have different middle names so I’m not technically a Jr.,” I stammered.  “And you are?”

“I’m Special Agent James Lamb of the F.B.I.” he replied as he flashed his credentials, “and I have a couple of questions I would like you to answer.  I understand you were fairly close with Devin McCaskill and his family when they lived in the house next to yours.  Is that correct?”

I was in a state of mild shock when he mentioned Devin’s name, but I knew I couldn’t lie to him.  “Uh, yes, your information is correct.”

“Do you have any knowledge that would explain why the current homeowners recently dug up a human skeleton that had been buried on that property?”

My head was spinning.  I was finding it hard to believe that the new neighbors had found a human skeleton buried on the property that Devin’s family had once owned.  Surely Devin’s father wouldn’t have done anything so foolish, even if he had accidentally killed someone after he’d transitioned into an animal.  He was smart enough to know that he should dispose of the body somewhere other than on the property where they lived.  There were plenty of other places around here he could have buried the body instead, or he could have simply made it appear as if the person was killed in the woods by a wild animal. 

“Uh, are you sure the body wasn’t buried there before Devin’s family lived there?  Maybe it’s the skeleton of a pioneer who was buried where he died, or maybe it’s a Native American burial site.”

“The remains aren’t old enough to have come from either of those sources and we have quite a few questions about how it got there.  I’d like you to accompany me downtown so you can answer a few more questions and tell us what you know about the McCaskills.” 

“Uh, just let me get my coat and keys so I can lock up first.” 

When I returned, he led me out to his vehicle, and when I saw it I made a comment. 

“Hey, that’s Devin’s SUV!”

“Yes, it is,” he responded, but this time in Devin’s voice and then he laughed.  That’s when I realized I’d been pranked.  He even parked his SUV on the opposite side of the road so it didn’t alert me, and I hadn’t even noticed it until he was supposedly leading me to it so he could take me downtown.

“Damn you!  You scared the shit out of me.  I had no idea why the new owners would have found a human skeleton on the property your parents used to own.  Even worse, I was afraid I might say something that would get your family in trouble.”

“No, I think you handled the situation quite well.”  

As he was grinning over getting the best of me, I was wondering how I would react to a similar situation in the future, because I’d always wonder if it was Devin trying to pull another prank on me.  I was also studying how he was dressed, hoping it might give me a clue if he were to try this again in the future. 

Even though it now sounded like Devin, he still hadn’t transitioned into himself while we were standing outside.  I wondered if it was just so no one else would see him do it or if the suit he was wearing would have been far too large on him if he had.  Therefore, I decided to ask him a question.    

“Is that another one of your dad’s suits?”

“No, this is a suit that Gramps and Faith gave me for Christmas, and when I get inside I’ll answer the rest of your questions.  Just give me a second to pull my SUV into the driveway and grab my suitcase first.” 

After doing those things, we went in the house and Devin finally transitioned into himself.  Even though we hadn’t seen anyone else while we were outside and no cars had passed by, he still didn’t want to take the chance that someone might see him transition.  And now that we were both inside, he willingly answered the rest of my questions. 

“Did you wear that suit all the way here?”

“No, I pulled over to the side of the road in a remote area, undressed, and transitioned my entire body first, except for my face.  I then put on the suit, but I made sure that no one could see what I was doing.” 

“You mean you weren’t worried that someone might see you getting undressed and then dressed again?”

“Nah, cuz I had my shorts and a T-shirt on, but they might wonder why I was getting dressed there, rather than where I was going.  And I didn’t transition my face until after I’d parked the SUV.” 

“If you say so, but why in the world did Gramps and Faith give you such a large suit for Christmas?”

“Gramps thought I could use it to get information that I needed in the future, or possibly just to get out of trouble.  Pops and Faith also gave me the white dress shirt and three different ties that all looked nice with the suit, along with a larger pair of dress shoes.  Gramps also provided me with two sets of fake F.B.I. credentials, one under the name of James Lamb and the other as Bradley Sterling.”

“Those names sound fake, so what if you get caught using them?”

“They’re actually the identities of two very real F.B.I. Special Agents, except they’re currently working assignments in other parts of the country.  He even gave me photos of both of those guys so I could pass for them when I transitioned.  Don’t ask me how he got all this stuff, but if someone was to check up on my identity they’d find out its legit.”

“What if the agent gets transferred to the same area where you are using it?” 

“That’s why he gave me two different IDs, because those two never work together.  I just have to call him before I use them, because he has a way of finding out where they’re working at any time.”

“Wow, that’s fucking incredible and you sure had me fooled.” 

“Yeah, and I loved the expression on your face when I was telling you about the human skeleton.”  He then laughed, so I playfully punched his arm. 

“The only problem is that in the future I’m always going to wonder if any stranger who confronts me is actually you.”

“You’ll only have to worry about it if you are alone at the time or just with my family, because I’d never do anything like that to you when there are others around.”

“Ok, that helps a little.”

At this point he finally decided to put on his other clothes, and that’s when I was able to confirm what he’d mentioned earlier, that he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt underneath.  

 

“You can carry your suit and the shoes and I’ll grab your suitcase as we head up to my room.  You can hang the suit in the closet so it won’t get wrinkled, and I just hope my mom doesn’t go into my room and see it there, because she’ll want to know who it belongs to.”

“Yeah, I’ll hang it where it won’t be so obvious and we’ll just have to make sure your mom doesn’t go in here until we leave.  Oh, and mentioning Gramps earlier reminded me of something.  I saw him and Pops after we went back to the cabin and they told me they’ve narrowed down the choices to two, if you still want to search for treasure this summer.  They explained that we can either look for the Old Ozark Treasure Cave in northwestern Arkansas and Southwestern Missouri, or we can look for John Dillinger’s missing money in New York State.”

“What do you know about those choices?”

“Dillinger’s missing money is $200,000 in small bills that was last seen in a suitcase, which it is assumed he buried before he was captured.  Some of the bills might even be gold certificates, because Dillinger supposedly buried the money in the spring of 1934 and the use of gold certificates had only been made illegal at the beginning of 1934.  If some of the bills are gold certificates then they’d be collector items and be worth a lot more money than their face value if they’re still in good condition.  Gramps and Pops can even help you sell them to collectors through their other business, whether or not they’re gold certificates, since they’d still be collectable.” 

“Ok, but what’s the treasure cave you mentioned?”

“It’s believed that Spanish conquistadors hid a bunch of gold in a cave somewhere in the Ozark Mountains while they were fleeing from Native Americans.”

“That sounds more interesting and exciting.”

“I know, but since we’d have to cover a large area to be able to check it out thoroughly, Gramps and Pops said we’d have to do it as wolves.  They can cover a larger area than we could in our human forms and it’s also not unusual to see wolves in a pack, so we wouldn’t draw too much attention.”

“Just as long as people aren’t allowed to hunt wolves there.”

“Pops said we’d have to do it as red wolves, though, because they are just being reintroduced to the area and no one would be allowed to hunt them.”

“That’s good to know, but I thought we might have to do it as bears, like Pops did when he found his treasure?”

“No, bears can be hunted in some of the areas where the cave might be located.”

“Ah, ok.  I certainly don’t want anyone shooting at me, but I think the cave still sounds more interesting.”

“I’m good with either one, so if that’s what you want to do then we’ll just have to let your parents know about our summer plans.  You’ll only be able to tell them that we’ll be going with Gramps and Pops, though, and that we’ll be learning more about what they do.  Just say it’s so that when my dad takes over their businesses we’ll be able to become partners and cover for him from time to time.” 

“Ok, I can do that.”

“Great, and did you get your grades yet?”

“Yes, I looked at them two days ago.”

“Me too, so how did you do this time?”

“I got four A’s and one A minus.  How did you do?”

“I did exactly the same as you.”

“That’s great, because it means you ended up with the same GPA as last semester.” 

“Not exactly, because last semester I had 5 A’s and an A minus, since we both took an extra course due to our dual majors.  It works out that my GPA is one-hundredth of a point lower this time than the previous semester, and you’re still ahead of me on our cumulative GPAs.”

“I’ve got a 3.96 cumulative GPA.  What about you?”

“My cumulative GPA is 3.92, so it’s up one-hundredth of a point since last semester, but I don’t think it will ever be as high as yours.” 

“Just keep working on it and you may catch me yet.”

“Maybe, but my parents are happy with how I’m doing and that I’m on the Dean’s List.”

“I’m sure they are.  Speaking of your parents, I thought you were going to stay with them for a few more days.”

“I was going to, but they said I looked miserable and needed to be with you, so they let me come here early.  I hope your parents don’t mind.”

“Nah, they’ll be happy to see you, especially if you drive me to the grocery store so we pick up a few things to make dinner for them tonight.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

It was a meal similar to those we’d fixed for them before, and my mom smelled the food before she even noticed Devin.

“I’m so glad you prepared something for supper, because I’m beat,” she said and then she spotted Devin.  “Devin, it’s so nice to see you again, but Mickey said you wouldn’t be here for a few more days.”

“That was my plan, but my parents told me it was ok if I wanted to come here early, because they said they could see how much I was missing Mac.”

“I see, and Mike and I have been able to tell how much Mickey has been missing you as well, so we’re pleased your parents let you join us a little earlier.”

“Yes, it’s great to see you again,” Dad added, “and now you’ll both be here to watch the college football playoff championship game with me.  It’s a shame your dad won’t be here to join us, though.”

“He’ll watch the game with his dad and uncle.”

“That’s good.  I’m glad he won’t be watching it alone,” he added, and then I told my parents they had a few minutes to freshen up while Devin and I carried the food to the table. 

During the meal, we talked about how much we had all enjoyed celebrating the holidays together and we agreed that we wanted to continue doing it that way from now on.

“Thanks, honey, the meal was wonderful,” my mom said when we finished eating.

“Yes, you boys did another great job,” my dad added. 

“And it’s not over yet,” I responded, “because we bought ice cream for dessert.”

“Oh, I love it when you boys fix supper, because you usually have a dessert as well,” my dad stated gleefully. 

After we finished eating dessert, Devin and I cleared the table and washed the dishes, and then we went to the living room to join my parents.  They were planning on watching a movie, so we agreed to watch it with them. 

My mom and dad turned in shortly after the movie ended, but Devin and I stayed up a little longer.  During that time we talked about our class schedules for the second semester, since that information had arrived in an email as well.  After comparing our schedules, we confirmed we’d still be able to go to the dog park every morning, and then we headed upstairs to turn in.