CHNG BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since this story is based on a previous story (Castaway Hotel), I will provide some background information about each of the characters. This information is for you to reference, but I shall attempt to describe them sufficiently when I introduce them in this story so you won’t have to continually look characters up here.
I will list the boys in the order they came into the original story, give some vital statistics about each one, including their birth dates, which will be listed in parentheses. This way you will be able to look up background information about them, in case you wish to better understand them or learn how they came into the story.
I will also list any several other characters that have reoccurring roles in this story, after I have listed the family members. I hope this helps you follow and understand the story better. This information is accurate for when this story begins, in early July 2010.
Josh (Joshua James Currie) – 59-year old widower (August 18) with four grown children (2 boys, 2 girls). After his wife died, he decided to take in foster boys, so he could help make their lives a little better.
Jake (Jacob McCarthy) – 43 yo (January 21) Jake is Shannon’s biological father and Josh’s partner. Jake had married and tried to be straight, but it didn’t work. He and his wife divorced after she figured out his secret, and later she asked him to take Shannon, after she threw her son out of the house, after learning he was gay too. Jake and Shannon eventually met and became friends with the Curries and moved into the Currie house, after Josh suffered a heart attack. After some rough times with Josh’s biological children, the two of them had a commitment ceremony and became life partners.
Ricky (Richard Allen Glover Currie) – 24 yo (July 7) Ricky was the first boy who came to live with Josh. He was actually a 7th grade student in the middle school where Josh was principal, when Sally Swarthout (the social worker) first paired them up. He was a bit hyperactive and had some slight behavioral problems at the time and needed a home after his drug addicted mother died, since his father was unknown to him and he had no other family that he knew of.
Ricky is 5’ 10” tall and has blond hair, gray eyes and an average build. Ricky is bisexual, although he leans toward females. He currently works as a marketing manager for Verizon Wireless in the Philadelphia area.
Danny (Daniel Edward Roma Currie) – 26 yo (May 6) Danny was Josh’s second foster son and came to live with him when he was 13. This happened after his parents (mainly his father) kicked him out of their home, after discovering that Danny was gay. A few years later, Danny biological mother reached out to renew their relationship and Danny accepted.
As a teenager, Danny established a relationship with his best friend, Brandon O’Hara, who was also gay. They have since made a commitment to be life partners.
Danny is 6’ 1” tall and has brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build. He went to Penn State University and then the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, where he majored in Pediatric medicine. He is currently working in the emergency room at the local hospital.
Brandon (Brandon Patrick O’Hara) – 26 yo (March 4) Brandon was Danny’s best friend and came to live with the Curries so he could finish school in Pennsylvania, when his father took a new job in Texas. His parents agreed to this so he wouldn’t have to change schools in his senior year. He is also Danny’s life partner.
Brandon is 6’ 2” tall and has blond hair, brown eyes and a slender build. He went to the University of Pittsburgh, as well as their dental college, concentrating in pediatric dentistry. He is currently working for the dentist he went to while he was growing up.
Dustin (Dustin Mathew Kowalski Currie) - 27 yo (April 27) Dustin had come to live with the Curries after he was thrown out of his previous foster home, after he was caught in a homosexual act with the foster parents’ biological son, Kevin, who ended up coming to their there as well, later.
Dustin is 6’ 0” tall and has black hair, green eyes and a solid build. He is bisexual, but leans toward females. Dustin took technical courses in HVAC and then went to college to earn his business degree. He recently bought the private HVAC company he was working for and is doing quite well. He also has a girlfriend named Katie.
Kevin (Kevin Michael Baxter Currie) – 25 yo (August 8) Kevin was the biological son of Dustin’s foster parents. After throwing Dustin out of their home, Kevin’s father beat him quite severely, so Kevin ran away.
After it became evident that Dustin wasn’t gay, Kevin started dating other guys. Kevin is now with Vinnie and they have committed themselves as life partners.
Kevin is 5’ 11 1/2” tall and has longish brown hair, blue eyes and is slender, with a swimmer’s build. After winning a scholarship, Kevin went to Temple University and then their Pharmacy School. He is now employed as a pharmacist.
Cole (Cole David Van Cott Currie) – 25 yo (October 22) Cole and his brother, Graham, were found abandoned and malnourished as children. They were taken from their mother and placed with Josh. Cole and Graham both suffered from learning disabilities, although Cole had the worst problem. Their mother showed up again a few years later and tried to get her boys back. Once the case went to court, the boys remained with Josh, but their mother was granted visitation rights.
Cole is 5’ 9 1/2” tall and has dirty blond hair, brown eyes and has developed a fairly muscular build. Although he had a learning disability, he proved to have a talent for auto repair and bodywork. He is currently the automotive assistant manager for a local automotive dealership. Cole has a girlfriend named Beth.
Graham (Graham Thomas Van Cott Currie) – 23 yo (March 10) Graham and his brother, Cole, were malnourished when they came to live with the Curries. Both Graham and Cole suffered from learning disabilities, although Graham’s problem is less severe than his brothers. His mother showed up again, seeking her boys back, but they stayed a Currie, although their mother was granted visitation rights.
Graham is 5’ 8” tall and has brown hair, brown eyes and a slender frame. Since he had such a difficult time in school, Graham decided to go to college and become a teacher. He currently teaches middle school learning-disabled students in the York, Pennsylvania area how to succeed.
Pat (Patrick Alan Murray Currie) – 25 yo (May 28) Pat never had a stable home life, since he was raised by several different relatives and moved around frequently. This caused him to have problems in school. After he got into a minor scrape with the law, Judge Shay asked Josh to take Patrick in. A lab accident in high school left him blind, but he regained sight in his left eye after undergoing an operation.
Pat is 5’ 10” tall and has dirty blond hair, blue eyes and a solid build. Pat has a degree in electrical engineering and is currently working for General Dynamics, just outside of Pittsburgh.
Trey (Alexander Michael Daniels III Currie) – 24 yo (February 16) Trey was the third one in his family named Alexander Michael Daniels, which led to his nickname, Trey. He was an orphan when his parents and sister were killed in an explosion at his house, while he was on a school trip. After coming to live with the Curries, Trey wrote a play, as a high school project for two of his classes. He later also made it into a video, which was so well received. In fact, his project was so well done that his teacher submitted the work in two competitions, one for writing and another for amateur video production. This led to Trey winning awards at the state, regional and national levels of the Scholastic Writing and Art Competition. Besides his academic achievements, Trey and Dion have committed themselves to be life partners.
Trey is 5’ 10” tall and has brown hair, brown eyes, and a slender build. He is shy, slightly effeminate and an avid reader. He majored in English, with a minor in theater, starting at Temple University, but then transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, so he could be with Dion. He also chose to stay an extra year, so he could earn his Master’s Degree in education. Trey currently teaches English at the local high school, but also has aspirations to become a successful author.
Frankie (Franklin Albert Hopkins Currie) – 26 yo (July 20) Frankie to live with the Curries as a result of getting into trouble. Judge Shay asked Josh to take Frankie in, as a favor, but Josh later was forced to send Frankie away, after he tried to rape Trey. After getting his act together, he came by to apologize for his earlier actions. Trey was so moved by his acttions that he asked Josh to see if he could arrange for Frankie to move back in.
Frankie is 5’ 11” tall and has black hair, brown eyes, broad shoulders and a solid build. After earning a two-year degree in criminal justice, he had a difficult time finding a job, so he enlisted in the army to become an M.P. Frankie is straight and currently works as a Pennsylvania State Trooper.
Sammy (Tsukimo Yamada Currie) – 22 yo (June 1) Sammy and his brother, Andrew, were taken in after Graham insisted they take them in. Graham had read an article about the boys’ Japanese father shooting his American wife and then killing himself. The boys only other relatives were their Japanese grandparents, whom they had never met. After meeting with the grandparents, it was decided the boys would be better off living with the Curries.
Sammy is 5’ 6” tall and has black hair, black eyes and a slender build. He majored in history and economics in college and is currently teaching at a high school in the York, Pennsylvania area.
Andrew (Furuhata Yamada Currie) – 19 yo (September 12) Andrew and his brother, Sammy, were taken in after Graham insisted they take them in. Graham had read an article about the boys’ Japanese father shooting his American wife and then killing himself. The boys only other relatives were their Japanese grandparents, whom they had never met. After meeting with the grandparents, it was decided the boys would be better off living with the Curries.
Andrew is 5’ 4” tall and has black hair, black eyes, and has a petite build. Andrew won some awards for his artwork while in school and is the reason he is currently a college sophomore, majoring in art.
Dion (Dion Jamal Jackson Currie) – 22 yo (November 27) Dion was born to teenage parents and raised by his grandmother. His mother took off after he was born and his father, a fireman, was killed in a fire. Dion grandmother raised him until she died, and then Sally Swarthout became his guardian. Since she was single and career oriented, she thought it would be better if Dion went to live with the Curries. Dion is bisexual and got a girl pregnant in high school and she was going to give the baby up for adoption. Dion talked Josh into helping him raise the baby, Joshie, who is currently living with the Curries. Dion and Trey, however, have since committed themselves to be life partners.
Dion is 5’ 11” tall and has black hair, brown eyes and toffee colored skin. Dion has a fantastic tenor voice and won a scholarship for private lessons while still in high school, which were given at the University of Pittsburgh. He later enrolled there and earned his degree in vocal music.
Nick (Nicholas Mark Lawrence) – 24 yo (February 28) When Nick thought his father hated him, because he was gay, he ran away from home. The Curries found him in Arizona, while on vacation. They managed to reunite Nick with his family, but his parents allowed him to stay with the Curries and go to school there. Nick and Shannon have committed themselves to be life partners.
Nick is 5’ 10” tall and has darkening blond hair, blue eyes and a swimmer’s build. He earned his degree in computer science and is currently employed as a IT technician in Atlanta, Georgia.
Shannon Colin McCarthy – 24 yo (December 16) After his mother kicked him out of the house, after discovering he was gay, he went to live with his divorced father. At his new school, Shannon was being bullied by some Boy Scouts, who had learned about his sexual orientation, and the Currie boys came to his defense. After becoming friends with the family, they came to live with the Curries, after Josh suffered a heart attack. Shannon and Nick have committed themselves as life partners.
Shannon is 5’ 10 ½” tall and has blond hair, brown eyes and an average build. He earned his degree in business management and currently works as an accountant for a firm in Atlanta, Georgia.
Vinnie (Alvin Mitchell Rydell Shay) – 24 yo – (December 17) Vinnie’s parents were killed on one of the flights originating out of Boston on 9/11/2001. Vinnie was born with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, so he has to use crutches to get around. Since he and Kevin were dating and Vinnie didn’t want to feel he was committing incest if he was to be adopted by Josh, the Shay’s offered to adopt him instead and then give Josh custody rights. Kevin and Vinnie are now committed as life partners.
Vinnie is 5’ 7 1/2” tall and has brown hair, brown eyes and a slender build. Vinnie has his Master’s Degree in education and teaches physically disabled students at a private school.
Little Ricky (Richard Elias Becker) – 21 – (June 17) Richard had lived in a group foster home until the Curries arranged for the Beckers to adopt him. After living with them for a couple of years, his adoptive father had a heart attack and died and his mother was suffering from Alzheimer’s. Since she could no longer care for him, he came to live with the Curries. His mother has since passed away.
Little Ricky is 5’ 9” tall and has light brown hair and brown eyes. His will soon be starting work on his M.S.W. degree (Master of Social Work) and hopes he is able to get a job working for his Aunt Sally (Swarthout).
Jesse Albert Cornell – 16 – (August 26) Jesse was left at the Currie home on Easter Sunday. His mother (Alice Wells) felt she had to get him away from his emotionally and physically abusive stepfather, before something terrible happened to Jesse. Jesse didn’t speak when he arrived, due to witnessing his biological father being shot to death. Jesse was only 4 1/ 2 when that happened, but he hadn’t spoken since and became the crux of his stepfather’s abuse. Jesse and Andrew became very close after he came to live with the Curries and Jesse spoke for the first time in ages when he tried to explain that\Andrew had been hurt in a bicycle accident.
Jesse is 5’ 10” tall and has brown hair, with dirty blond highlights, brown eyes and an average build. He will be a high school junior in the fall.
Other recurring characters:
Sally Swarthout – She works for Dept. of Social Services and has been Josh’s friend for years. Sally was the person that convinced Josh to become a foster parent and was instrumental in arranging for many of the boys being placed there. The boys call her Aunt Sally.
Steve & Mary Shay – Steve was the judge who presided over the first group adoption, but he also arranged for Pat and Frankie to come to live with the Curries. He and his wife have since become good friends of the family and the boys call them Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary. The Shays later offered to adopt Vinnie, to relieve Vinnie’s fears that he’d be committing incest with Kevin.
Josh’s older children, listed from oldest to youngest – with spouse listed in parenthesis, if there is one:
Michael (Andrea) They are Jordan and Megan’s parents.
Marie (Adrian) They are Nicky and Kylie’s parents.
Robert – He is currently single.
Elizabeth (Timothy) They are Lucas’ parents.
Josh’s grandchildren, listed from oldest to youngest.
Jordan – 15 (March 7) (Michael/Andrea) – Jordan will be a high school sophomore in the fall and has spent a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles over the years.
Nicky – 14 (April 10) (Marie/Adrian) Nicky will be a high school freshman in the fall and has spent a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles over the years.
Megan – 9 (September 27) (Michael/Andrea) – Megan will be in the fifth grade in the fall.
Kylie – 5 (August 19) (Marie/Adrian) – Kylie will be starting first grade in the fall.
Lucas – 4 (May 22) (Elizabeth/Timothy) – Lucas attends pre-school.
Mark (Mark Adam Williams) – 29 yo (April 2) Mark met the Curries when he waited on them, when they ate at the restaurant he was working in, near the Grand Canyon, in Arizona. They hit it off, so they invited him to go with them to see the sights. During their time together, they bonded. Since Mark was illegitimate and lived with his mother (Susan) in Oregon, he immediately took to Josh as a father figure. He visited several times after that and Josh helped him secure his first job. Mark has since become part of their extended family.
Mark is 6’ 1” tall and has black hair, gray eyes and a trim and fit build. Mark is straight and has a girlfriend named Amy. He has a degree in finance and works as an investment banker in New York City. He also handles many of the Currie personal accounts, as well as those of the Castaway Foundation.
Susan Williams - Mark’s mother, who raised him mostly on her own. She moved to Pennsylvania, at Mark’s request, to be closer to her son, after he got his first job. She has also become a part of the extended family and the boys call her Aunt Susan.
Patrick & Brenda O’Hara – Brandon’s parents. The two families became close when the boys were young, since their son spent so much time with the Curries. That only increased, once Danny and Brandon decided to be partners. The O’Haras have since become Uncle Pat and Aunt Brenda to Josh’s boys.
Jay (Jay Aubrey Curtis) – – 25 yo (June 10) Jay has been Ricky’s best friend since they were young teenagers. Although he was a little awkward and slightly uncoordinated as a youngster, he has developed into a fine young man.
Jay is 6’ 1” tall, has red hair and green eyes and has begun filling out, as he got older. Jay is straight and currently working as an architect in New York City.
Howard & Audrey Curtis – Jay’s parents. Since Jay and Ricky were best friends, the two families became close. When the boys were young, Jay also spent a great dea; pf time with the Curries. The Curtises have since become Uncle Howie and Aunt Audrey to Josh’s boys.
Mike and Julie Lawrence – Nick’s parents, from Oklahoma. They were first introduced to the Curries after they discovered their son in Arizona, after he had run away from home. After Josh helped them reconcile, the families have become very close. Since Nick is now partnered with Jake’s son, Shannon, they often come to Pennsylvania to celebrate the holidays on off years. Otherwise, Nick, Shannon and, sometimes, Jake go to Oklahoma to celebrate with them.
Carlos (Carlos Miguel Garcia) – 24 yo (January 15) Carlos and his mother (who at the time was an illegal Mexican immigrant) moved from California to Philadelphia with her boyfriend. The boyfriend physically abused Carlos and Carlos ran away. Josh was able to keep Carlos and his mother together, by helping to arrange for her to be in the country legally and by helping her to find a job and place to live.
Carlos is 5’ 8” tall and has black hair, brown eyes and is stocky, but not obese. Carlos began working in a Mexican-American restaurant (Hacienda Mexicali) while in high school and is currently the manager there.
Ted (Theodore Fredrick Beckham) – 24 – (July 1) Ted is the gay nephew of Nurse Jane, who took care one of the Curries, when he was in the hospital. Jane put Ted in contact with the Curries, because she hoped they could help him become comfortable with being gay. Ted’s father was not reacting well to the news and they had become estranged. After Ted came and spent time with the Currie family, Ted’s Aunt Jane helped him improve his relationship with his father. Ted is now in a loving relationship with a guy he met at college.
Nurse Jane (Jane Beckham Dowd) – Jane was the favorite nurse of one of the Currie boys, when he was in the hospital. She is also Ted Beckham’s aunt and was responsible for directing her nephew to get in touch with the Curries. She has also transported Ted back and forth, so he could visit the family, so they have all become very close.
Duck (Donald Edward Jamison) – 33 – (May 3) Duck picked Vinnie up while he was hitchhiking, after a Valentine’s fiasco with Kevin. Duck let Vinnie stay with him until he had worked out his problems and returned home. When Josh went to thank and repay Duck for all he had done, he learned about Duck’s sad story and how Duck’s father had thrown him out. Josh then invited Duck to become part of their family and do things with them, so he wouldn’t be totally alone. Duck has since done many things with the family and is very close to them. Duck is straight and has a girlfriend, Jennifer.
Jeff Goldberg – 27 – (Feb. 25) Boy that Kevin gave his full-scholarship for Jeff’s partial scholarship. Kevin did this because Jeff couldn’t have afforded going to college and becoming a pharmacist on only a partial scholarship. Jeff and Kevin went to Temple together.