THE RETIREE

No one under the age of fourteen has any sex in this story.

THE RETIREE:

I was living the life of Riley in the MT. Beaver Condo Complex, when I went down to get my mail from the mail box complex at the front of the compound. There are so many units now with Marty’s expansion projects pretty much finished, that they had to take out most of two fence units to fit the mail box unit in. They did manage to find room for all of the signs designating the complex’s title and the warning signs about parking in other’s parking spots, too. Not that the idiots listen to those kinds of admonitions. I think that the designated towing company is thinking about renting a space in the parking lot to be handy for all of the business they get here.

I opened the box, with my cute little brass key that works fine after being used for a couple of years. And lo and behold there is a letter for me from some kind of lawyer’s LLC that is unknown to me. But it is addressed to me, Otis Merryfield, just like it says on the front of the envelope. So, being curious, because I allow very little mail of importance to come here, instead of my post office box; I move up the stairs to my condo unit, one of the single ones and wave at the nice policeman living in one of the lower front units as I pass him by. He would have waved back, I know, except he was giving his girlfriend a very fervent hug as he readied himself to move off to God knows what kinds of dangers that he will face this day.

When I settle my aching bones down, I prepare to open the envelope with its apparently important message. And I find out right away in the letter that they are representing a long forgotten uncle of mine, Ben Kendall, whom I haven’t seen since my marriage about fifty years ago to my now departed wife. No, she didn’t die, she just departed to places unknown to me. Oh guess she didn’t consider me exciting enough anymore after about thirty seven years of marriage, a conclusion that a string of escorts might disagree with, especially with me up their asses.

The letter goes on to say that he has passed away recently at the age of almost one hundred. A total of years more than all of his children put together, if my memory serves me right. One son died nobly in serving his country, one died ignobly in prison and the third one a daughter died at the age of sixteen. That one still hurts in my heart to this day.

The upshot of all of this is that he died with no known lineal descendants, and decided to enrich a number of worthy causes and also the lives of some of his favorite relatives. I guess that included me, too, since the number for me was fifty million dollars (tax paid.) I don’t know how much anyone else got, but that was a staggering amount to me.

The thoughtful question came to me as to why he might be favoring me, whom he hadn’t corresponded with for about half of a century, and then it all came flooding back.

Her family had lived right next door to mine. Her father was my mother’s brother and they had been very close in their childhoods. And Angelica and I were just the same from the time that she was born, just two years to the day after me. Mom used to take care of the both of us as toddlers, since both of Ange’s parents worked and Mom was a determined stay-at-home mom.

Both families used to tease us a lot about marrying each other someday. But, she and I would just look at each other and wonder why ruin the great time we were having together by getting married. I am guessing if things had worked out though and she hadn’t died so young, that we might have tried to find a place where we could have been together for good.

But, as the years went by, we did everything together. We skated, hiked, fished, camped out and went to movies only with each other. Neither of us ever entertained anyone one else in that manner in our hearts. Sex never raised its head between us during those years, we knew that we were boy and girl and loved the fact, but that was enough for then. We loved each other in every other way and were very satisfied in that.

Then just past her fourteenth birthday, she found out that she had childhood leukemia, in her bones and bone marrow. It was terribly serious but wasn’t travelling through the body, yet. This would come in the coming months they warned and in those days there was not a treatment for it. She snuck over that night to sleep with me, held in my adoring arms as she sniffled and teared up through the night.

She showed no indication of self-pity over it, she just knew what a terrible pain it would be for me with her going her way very early from me in our lives. I was still somewhat oblivious about the ramifications of this at that time, but very tenderly comforting to her in her obvious distresses over it.

After a year of this, she became too weak to go to school and so as to not separate us during this difficult time, both of us were excused to do our lessons at home, which was a new idea at the time. We found a lot of comfort and fun in doing our lessons together and they kept us from focusing on her discomfort all the time.

Two months after her fifteenth birthday, she was staying over with me in my bed after studying late and playing board games together. For some reason that night, I saw her in a different light. I noticed her feminine body, her budding breasts, her willowy body, her lightly covered with hair pubic area, and she noticed that I noticed. She said nothing about it, but when we cuddled up that night, she moved my hands to discover by touch all of the many wonderful sites of her budding womanhood.

She reached up and kissed first my ear and then my mouth as my fingers and hands moved of their own volition about her body. And she began to say such wonderful things to me as she murmured and sighed over the feelings that were coming over her. Soon, she joined in by reaching out and taking my penis into her hands, too. And with some lotion from beside the bed began to work it up into heightened awareness, too.

About that time, I could see the shadows of my parents looking in on us, but they did nothing to interfere.

We didn’t progress beyond that for that night, but our cuddling over the night was especially tightly held by each of us.

The next day, while Angelica was napping, her father came over and took me out into the back yard. He started with, “Otis, I know how much you have always loved my daughter, and how much she loves you. I have to tell you that she is not going to survive this illness of hers, and it is going to take her in only a few months. Please, son, make her happy for a whole lifetime in the months left for her…..”

I was stunned, because this was the first time that the whole weight of what was going to happen landed right on my shoulders. He nodded to me and then with his hands up to his face and his back bent he walked slowly back to his home.

Angelica and I never mentioned what was going to happen in such a short time. We just tried to fill it with as much life as possible. That night, as we again played with each other’ bodies, she surrendered up her virginity to me. My mother had clued her into the process and so there was a towel to contain any overflows as a result. I kept it near me until I married.

When I first entered her completely and took her cherry, she just very briefly winced and then out came the most beautiful smile that I would ever see in a woman. That was what she was, then. And to me she was my everything! I got very little studying done over the next six months as Angie and I filled every day and night with our love for one another.

During the last six weeks, she was too weak to take any more active sex, but I continued to caress and kiss her and she took me into her mouth a couple of times to empty me. She died in my arms during the night, I knew that there was no saving her and so held her in my arms until morning. Then they came and got her body, and also took my life’s heart at that moment.

They had the memorial service three days later and her parents had me sit right between them with their sons out on either side. When she was to be buried, my father on one side and her father on the other held me between them as we walked to her grave, all of us in tears.

After a beautiful prayer, the best that I have ever heard, the two fathers took me aside before the first shovelful, which none of us could stand to observe and moved me to a bench a couple of yards away, but out of sight of it.

As my father held me in his arms, her father spoke to me in the most solemn tones I would ever hear, “Son, this is about the worst thing that will ever happen to you. Only losing your own child is worse. But, don’t let it conquer you! Angelica told me that you had loved her for a lifetime’s worth. And that is so much more than most of us ever get. So, store this aside in your heart and make your life worth the two of you, you are so very much worth it.” With that and with tears in his eyes, he raised up, nodded to my Dad and then struggled to move away to the rest of his life. Without his darling little blonde headed and smiling little girl. The many riches that he acquired from then on never replaced one iota of her missing presence in his life.

It took me many years to overcome the shadow of this over my life, but when I met my future wife, it receded back into my mind and heart and never threw a shade over my marriage. It was long and happy and resulted in several beloved children, who each grew up to be fine people.

As these memories came rushing back and the feelings of that time were renewed, I couldn’t finish the letter that evening, but went to bed without dinner to try to quiet my heart all over again in sleep. I dreamed of her that night and she said to me in my sleep, “Not long to go, my love and we will be back together again.” With that the tears flowed till morning.

The next day, I came to a calmness over all of this and read the rest of the letter. It informed me that I only needed to supply a bank deposit slip to them and they would deposit the money to my account. I wasn’t born yesterday, so I handed the letter over along with a deposit slip to my lawyer, Blossom, and she took care of it. Not a scam this time.

When I got over the shock of this, I discussed it with Marty, who had enjoyed a very similar situation a couple of years in the past and had used the money to develop one of the top flight condo complexes of Big City. He recommended that I do something permanent that would survive me, just like he had done, and not to waste the money away. Well that it perfectly okay to waste some of it, he smiled.

He then gave me a list of people that he had had dealings with and recommended that I not advise anyone of my good fortune but them. They included:

Blossom the lawyer, who I already knew of,

Nestor Jones, a local stockbroker and financial planner extraordinaire,

Mrs. Darby, a very helpful local bank executive,

The four brothers of the Sully company, with Jose their local contact.

Richard Sterling (known as the Dickster) with the Mt. Beaver Detective Agency and the Sterling Security Company,

And the Bash Brothers, for my protection with the coming of unwanted public attentions over my good financial fortune.

He also mentioned a certain real estate lady that could be helpful in case of that need.

That night, he recommended that I bolster up my heart with a little intimate fun and so I contacted Penny who had the very small condo on the opposite side of the complex and who was known to especially enjoy servicing the older men of the place.

She accepted and notified me by text to meet her there at eight that evening.

When I arrived, she hid behind the door and then revealed herself in a pretty bra and tutu, with no panties underneath to welcome me. At this time, she was still about eighteen years of age, and pretty as a picture. A Hispanic one, too.

She led me to the bedroom and asked me to relax, while she undressed me. She allowed my hands to wander about her lovely body, as she slowly removed my clothing piece by piece. Since she had a great deal of experience with older guys, she knew right what she was doing.

I was fully engaged with her body and my hands eventually travelled down to her pussy and began to massage the slit and tissues there. She was teasing my cock as she removed my last articles of clothing.

By then her pussy was in full array, with her pussy lips opened up like a spring flower and the flow of her lady cum leaking down to be tasted. She moved me up onto the bed and then planted her pussy right on my mouth to empty herself, while she continued to play with my arisen cock. It too was leaking and she used it to lube my penile head for the coming trip that it was going to take up her paradise alley.

She then reversed herself and planted her pussy right down on to my cock, while my hands cupped her breasts and pulled her face down for further kissing. With this all engaged, she began to move her belly forward and backwards with only slight up and down movements. This got me high and I emptied right up into her upper vaginal chamber, in short order.

She then reversed herself again and took my cock up into her mouth for further teasing while I sucked out my recent gift to her.

After I was fully arisen again, she moved down on the bed on her side and opened her legs up in the spoon position and then worked my now hardened cock right up into her ass. When I was firmly planted up into her, I gently moved in and almost out of her with her reciprocating to my movements. At my age I wasn’t going to cum again, but I was still nearly out of my mind in pleasure at this service from her.

After we settled down then, we cuddled up spoon-wise, with me still up her ass, and we rested in a short nap till it was time for me to leave.

As she in nudeness escorted me to the door with repeated kisses and gentle tugs on my cock, she told me, “Anytime Otis, any time!”

The next morning, I was informed by the Bash Brothers by text that they were already on my case at the request of Richard. And for me to act normal under the circumstances as that would help them to identify any threats to me, more easily. “Act Normal,” I moaned??? But, I did my best and the initial flow of threats was easily identified and dealt with. After that the word got out to leave this man alone, and there were few further incidents from then on.

The next morning after Penny entertained me, Marty came by and offered to help me a bit with the transition from being just another old duffer, to now being a lady magnate and source of interest to the ‘financial sharks club of the town, though they were somewhat constrained now by legal actions that Marty himself had instituted.

He offered Wylie to help me keep matters in hand by monitoring the people who came to my door, mostly looking for handouts. And then advised me to lean heavily on the financial and security team that he had done so with, to keep me safe. He advised me to see Nestor first to get the money situation in hand. The Bash Brothers, the local police living in the compound and the security firm for the complex already were on board in a protective mode for me. Wylie would be staying on hand for a couple of weeks with his company’s approval as they saw another prospective large account coming their way.

So, I made an appointment to meet with Nestor that afternoon. And he met me with his office manager, Lacy in attendance too. In the initial work-up they advised me to divide up my already tax paid up bounty into separate parcels, each for: wild celebration money, investment funds, deep back-up savings, and ready living situation improvement funds. They said that if I didn’t waste at least some of it away, I wouldn’t keep the other avenues cared for either. So, I asked them how much to include in my frivolous account and they suggested 250K to start and for it to be in a separate account with a new bank to me to protect my other funds.

They then asked how much I would need to improve my living arrangements and I suggested a million, but they said to make it five, just in case. The extra could always be folded back into one of the other accounts. And I planned on ten million for stable savings, which they agreed was plenty. They then suggested that I invest a modest amount, maybe up to a third of my funds in some kind of investments to keep up with inflation on the total. They said that they would supply me with a list of solid companies, both growth stocks and dividend paying ones to diversify my holdings. They said that they would be glad to manage my investments, and that they had a very good reputation for not making needless investment changes just for the carrying charges. Marty acknowledged that when he suggested them.

So, the money was moved around to several local banks, one commercial one and every credit union that I could qualify for. They were all very happy to handle my money that was consigned to them, and none showed any jealousy over my investments made with others. Mrs. Darby’s bank had a very unusual ritual to celebrate new major investors in their bank. Marty laughed his head off when he heard of my experience with them and advised me that the celebration would be annually celebrated to encourage me to keep my funds with them. I blanched at that, but took it in good graces, even though.

With a firm handle on my money now, I began to make other plans for my future. I was seventy after all, and there was no good reason to stall the matters. But, first I texted Penny as to her availability for that night, to stay all nite. She said that she would be busy in the afternoon, but could join me for an overnighter at about eight that evening and for a modest amount stay the whole night, in sexy fun. I said great, and asked that she show up with her fancy open crotch panties with revealing bra combo. She said that she would love to do that. And she did.

I came only once that night, but still managed to spend a majority of the time with my cock in one of her sex holes. Her pussy being my favorite for that night. We drank non-alcohol drinks and shared snacks all nite. As we took a shower together for her to get ready to go to her civilian job, she hugged me and said that she had had the most fun that night of a long time. I smiled and said, “I bet you tell all of the guys, that!” She smiled and hugged me again. She is such a dear.

I, that next, day paid off my condo loan and settled up all of my bills. I then made appointments to catch up on my dental needs, for four implants that I could now afford and thankfully I had no other physical needs that could be taken care of without scary treatments. I did arrange weekly massages with Tracey, in the complex though. And she was along with being one of the sexiest ladies alive also a fine massage therapist with a degree on her wall now. I just loved her to death. I had heard along with almost everyone else in the complex about her previous pimp, who suddenly disappeared. No one seemed to miss him.

While I was travelling around town, with Marcus as my driver for the day in a town car, none the less, Wylie had deflected a number of funds seekers at my door, including several long lost relatives looking for a handout. He gave each of them a form to fill out with a lot of prying informational requests that turned most away immediately. But, when he mentioned Richard’s Investigation team, the rest gave up, too. Only one very aged auntie, whom I had always loved stood up to Wylie’s manner and she got her co-pays all taken care of for her trouble. She sent me the nicest year old fruitcake in thanks, and I returned a card of thanks for her as I dumped the cake into the trash, where it belonged. Smiled while I did it, too.

Marty over lunch the next day informed me that I was invited to become part of a very exclusive informal club of people who were in similar circumstance together. The insiders of this club called it the R.O.B. & D. Club. {Rich old bitches and duffer’s club] It made sense for them to invite me because we all had the same security concerns and the same security providers, so it made it easier for them to take care of all of us, if we were in the same places at times. They had seasonal parties titled as, Winter Party and such. They were in addition to family parties of the traditional kind, and no children under sixteen were ever invited to them. The first one rocked me back on my heels upon my first attendance, especially when Edna a ‘milf’ of the highest order walked me out to the woods and bared her ass for me to sample it with my dick. I didn’t’ even know that people like this existed, except in local urban legends, which in this case turned out to be true, and understated.

I next made a date with the real estate lady, Francine. She had quite a reputation as to how she closed sales and I was wondering how that would work out. But, she was also very knowledgeable about the local real estate scene as testified to by Blossom. When she asked what I wanted, I offered that I wanted a private estate not far out of town that I could develop without too many restrictions, and interference by the authorities. So happened that she knew of a forty acre parcel just out of town surrounded by active farms that had a federally recognized perpetual farming agreement on it. As long as I used at least half of it in an active farming operation, I could pretty much do what I wanted with the rest. And one of the local farms raised beef, so I could have my own herd raised in my name but managed by the neighbor. I would mosey out and throw some feed to them over the fence and call that raising them. This would go far to deflect the coming outrage, when I moved all of the fences back to their original positions. And since the government agreement included that the farm had to be at least forty acres, the neighbors were on very treacherous grounds in trying to maintain their stolen property from me. I arranged for three different surveying companies to plant accurate stakes, and they were only inches apart. I to be neighborly, used one on that side to satisfy the neighbor in my beef raising scheme to his advantage. And on the other two sides, I sent out a non-connected monetary gift each for them to advance to their favorite charities (in this case themselves.) Amazing what a little generosity can attain!

I then had a forty foot tall sequoia planted at each corner of the estate, and boy did that cost me a pretty penny. But, there would be no fooling around with those corner stakes, I figured. Then along each of the back boundaries, I planted ten foot tall redwoods, to mark the fence line. With all of this the neighbors retreated into civil respect as they recognized that I was serious about what I was doing.

I then contacted Jose the local representative of the Sully Construction Company to take a look at the old house and barns on the property, to see if they could be salvaged. Mike Sully flew in a day later to look things over with a local home remodeling specialist and they did a thorough inspection and engineering analysis. When they met with me they informed me that the house and barn would each need comprehensive improvements from the basement up, but that the skeletal structure of the buildings were sound, since all of the framing was of solid, fine grained and full-sized seasoned fir. There were no signs of decay in almost all of it, and no insect damage either. But, other than that, it would be a complete rebuilding process.

I mentioned that even though they had their own engineering section, that I wanted to use a local talent that I knew of: William an engineer and his wife Colly a home interior designer specialist. Mike said no problem with that, just send the completed plans to him and his staff would consult with William on any concerns that they had. And it was done just so, with the benefit of two fine engineering concerns both having input on it. So both the house and barns were completely rebuilt around the old framing and the finished product was very impressive indeed.

Since, Colly had fully furnished the house for me, I needed very little help in moving. I left a lot of my household things at the apartment, and Marty was going to have my place accorded as being one of the Gray Knights rescue sites administered by the head Gray knight of the complex, himself. This got me a lot of pussy, when I visited the premises on occasion.

In the meantime there was the matter of household staff. There was no way that I would be able to care for this very large three story building, even with the newly installed elevator to ease the up and down travel for my aged body. So, I asked around about this and was advised as to a local college girl that Blossom knew about that needed help in her continuing of her education. So, she was sent over for me to audition for the job.

Blossom, being very familiar with the more aged and well-heeled guys in town’s feeling towards young women, advised her as to what would be unofficially expected of her for this collegiate help. She had no problem with this and showed up in the early afternoon on a Wednesday when no one else was around. She showed me her grade trans and she was a student computer engineering student with impeccable grades so far. And she had a background checkup from Richard’s company to establish her personal qualifications. It all was very fine in order.

Then after I showed her the mother-in-law apartment that she would be living in and the list of responsibilities (the official ones) that she would have to take care of she was very excited about this opportunity.

So, when we returned to the sitting room, before I could even settle down, she was disrobing before me, and she was a stunning young woman, as they usually are at the age of nineteen. She was then bare right down to the skin and she moved over on to my lap to let her audition for this part, too. And she passed, hands down, mainly my hands down to her pussy and ass.

Suella squirmed a bit at this, but after were both actualized in sensual modes, she began with my dick right up her pussy vault and I didn’t want it to move anywhere else for a long time. She held me in her arms as I worked myself up and down in her and profusely kissed me as it progressed. When I finally came, with her not far behind, she rose up to allow me to sample her cum from the source. And then settled down to nap shortly in my lap. She then rose and redressed and agreed to move in that weekend.

After a few months it showed that Suella wasn’t able to take care of all things by herself. So, I asked her to ask around among the pretty young ladies and ask if any others might be interested in this. Turned out that an amazing number of them were. And so Suella sent them one at a time to be interviewed by me and I selected one ebony, one Asian and one European to each take up one of the six extra bedrooms on the second floor and I had Suella make up a duty roster so that everything was done. And it worked out that way, just fine. None of them were allowed to bring their boy or girlfriends onto the place, though. I was the only dick allowed there, real or fake.

One of the new girls knew of a local young native girl that was in sore straits, having recently been abandoned by her older white lover. Not because of any difficulties between them, but because she got caught in a number’s game. So, I invited her to come by. One of the girls transported her to my home for the interview.

Her name was Fawn and she was only sixteen years old, but showed signs of a very difficult life in the present. Evidently, her family had abandoned her over her infiltrating the relationship between her half-sister Cora and her older white lover. So, she had been living wherever she could find a place to lay and had been serving up her body to pay for her drugs. But, as the discussion moved on she let me know that she wanted to change things for herself. She offered to be my nightly cuddle-bunny and had few other goals except to finish her High school education.

So, watching this still very lovely young girl on the couch, I offered to pay for her to go through drug rehabilitation. If she passed she could come and take up residence with me, to be my nightly bedmate, sometimes intimate, but mostly not. And I would arrange for her to have her own computer terminal so that she could communicate with her friends and family and do her course work online, but that she was to under no circumstances let any of them know where she actually was. I had no desire for a sit-in in my front yard. She promised to hold fast to that, and I told her that I would know at the sign of the first protest flag, and that she would probably be invited to leave then. She having nowhere else to go, was very serious about keeping this secret.

With the girls all settled in the house and taking very good care of it, and my plans for the barn still being developed, I decided to escape things for a bit and invited Edna who was on the loose lately, because of Marcus giving attentions to his exwife for the time being, to accompany me on a cruise trip. She readily agreed and we left for a four week trip. Marcus kissed her to go off with me and turned to take Peggy’s arm for the next month.

While we were waiting to board, Marcus had snuck an envelope into my pocket that when I later found it, included an itinerary that he had used with Edna on an earlier cruise trip, and it offered a lot of very good suggestions, which I adopted. After a couple of days; Edna volunteered, “Marcus’s ideas, huh?” I nodded yes and we continued to enjoy the trip.

Evidently Angelica Hale was also enjoying the trip on a personal not a professional level. Getting away from all of the hubbub, I guess. And time for her to spend with her still new baby sister. However on the seventh night, she agreed to do a short hour show for the passengers. The sound system was finely tuned and she sang all of her songs from A.G.T. plus another one from her history story, SILLY SONG, or Love, Oh Love, Stop Making A Fool of Me! There were very few dry eyes when she was done. I know that I wasn’t one of the dry ones.

After a couple of nights, Edna and I settled down to sex about every third day and anal almost every time. She just loved the feel of a dick up her butt. Other than that we were very busy with our other interests. I was like Marcus in that, since I also love social card games. We had such a great time, that Edna when we were unloading mentioned that we needed to do this again, perhaps with Marcus and Peggy next time. I thought that that would be an excellent idea.

After the six months of detox and treatment, Fawn came back refreshed and determined to make a go of it with me. She immediately moved into my room and only used one of the second floor bedrooms to study and correspond in. Since no drugs were allowed on the premises, she did very well and eventually the strains wore off. She spent every night in my bed, except if someone else was there in it. And stayed with me for many years, happy to be part of my home family.

Eventually my neighbor cattle raising county commissioner gave me permission to hire a permanent armed guard and install a small modular home for him in the front to deflect unwanted visitors looking for handouts. After a few of them ended up in jail, the flow of them ebbed off a lot.

Before I got too old to think about those things, I set up a board to manage my matters after my death, so that none of the girls already living there, nor any others that would replace them would be left out in the cold. It was made up of Wylie, Blossom and Mrs. Darby. My children would be of no concern, since all of them were already deceased and their children didn’t even know me. I did leave a joint trust fund for them, though. Not enough to get them into trouble, but enough for them to pursue worthwhile goals in their lives.

And then I settled down to determine what I would do with an empty barn and a whole lot of imaginations on my part.

I texted Marty and met him for lunch to discuss this. We talked about all of the changes that he had made at the condo complex to make it as homey and comfortable as possible for them. And he also brought up the age specific swimming pools about the compound and this got me to thinking. I mentioned my idea to him and he thought it would be wonderful.

I sent a registered letter to my county commissioner neighbor about it, since several federal, state and local laws would have to be tortured to make this possible. But, since it wasn’t a money making scheme, he thought that he could push it through. And in response to another letter to the local county deputy depot, I got another positive response.

So, with their approvals, I had the Sullies come again to finish off the big barn. I had a single bowling lane laid down one side, and a hardwood floor installed around the rest. There was a very small snack bar set at one end with old style pin-ball machines to play with. And with a very nice sound system and adjustable lights, the place was ready.

I sent out flyers to all of the farm families in the area, first. And then the other rural folks, too. Saturdays were going to be set aside for a play day for the local farm kids. They worked very hard right with their parents, so this was to be a special day for them. It would start at noon and last till one pm for the toddlers and up to six year olds. Then resume again at two for the seven to ten year olds. At three thirty, the eleven to fourteen year olds would have an hour and a half, and then the fifteen to eighteen year olds would have a two hour session from six to eight. This would cover all of them, with only up to eight allowed during any session. They would get to bed early enough with their parents for church or farm work the next day.

It was all free and I put Fawn in charge of managing it after the first three Saturdays of fine tuning the arrangement. When the groups of kids, each invited from a rotating file of qualifiers, came they would see a sign that told them that no: guns, knives, drugs, alcohol, not any electronic apparatuses were permitted inside. And they would see either an off duty deputy or a security man watching over things. It turned out great for the deputies, because over time the kids got to know them very well, and that helped a lot to simmer down any of the natural strains between young people and the law.

The other college girls were expected to help out on this, too. And it was so cute watching these girls especially with the very young ones, teaching them to wander around the cones in an elongated circle and in helping the younger ones to get used to skates, locked up for the youngest ones until they got their skating legs. I allowed only regular skates there, because there was not enough room for the speeds that the in-line ones could attain.

Fawn now had her G.E.D. and decided on her own to pursue an on-line course in Business Management and Accounting. I was so proud of her, she was doing just great at this. Just like a lot of kids, native or not, just given a chance to excel and they were among the best of them.

When she first came to be with me, she had been somewhat inactive in her manner. But, with her educational pursuits, the Saturday Kid’s parties and such, she was being much more active. And so she noticed that there was a plot of ground behind the big barn and in front of the small one that had evidently been a garden in the past. So, she asked me if it could be developed as one again.

I had been a top-flight gardener in my past, but with my back and hip, I couldn’t do it anymore, but I had a first rate set of tools and machinery set up in the small barn, including a riding mower, a real reconditioned Troy-Built tiller and whatever else she would really need.

I had the plot and a surrounding area sprayed with garden style Round-up and let it stand for a month, then just in time, I showed her all of my gardening tricks including raised beds and row covers. I also planted twelve dwarf fruit trees across a path from the garden for her to take care of. She took to this like the proverbial fish-to-water and had things very productive and remaining in fine order.

She was no longer the idler of the house, and after Suella graduated and left, Fawn took over complete physical management of the place and never left me.

With this now all in order, I began to wonder what I would do with my time now. I had wanted to see various places in the world, but had not done any travelling till I began to do the cruises with Edna, each year. But, I decided to advance this practice and added five more ladies to liven up my time. Peggy came once a year and she enjoyed the northern part of Europe. We did some of the river cruises there. Blossom, set aside once a year to accompany me to the Orient. Edna took care of the Caribbean. Candy the Mediterranean. And Sally, whose daughter, Teena who had disappeared out of sight, filled in with me on trips in the New Zealand and Australia area. I carried on these trips until I was just too old to handle them anymore and that was well into my late eighties.

---