While Mr. Ken's excursion group relaxed at Goofy's Pool, the Chief of Security, Gerald Cooper, saw his friend and walked over to talk to him.
"Hello there Mr. Ken, I was walking by when I saw you, so I thought I'd stop by and talk to you if you have a minute," said Gerald.
"Sure, have a seat; let's talk," said Mr. Ken.
"So how are you liking the cruises this time around, Mr. Ken?" asked the chief of security. "My bet is this is nothing like the last cruise you took with us is it, now?"
"You got that right, "replied Mr. Ken. "I'm really enjoying this cruise this time around, especially without all of the intrigue that we experienced two years ago when Collin and I cruised with Disney®."
The chief of security continued some small talk with Mr. Ken and asked about Robert and how he became his new foster son and how Robert and Eric were getting along and how they were enjoying the cruise. Then, Mr. Cooper decided to tell Mr. Ken the real reason why he was looking for him.
"Mr. Ken … I have to be honest with you. I actually was looking for you and … because there is something I want to talk to about, but I'm not too sure how I should go about it," began Gerry Cooper.
"Do tell," said Ken Thomas, with a bit of surprise in his voice.
"Sometimes things are … well, are brought to our attention in Security, and I'm not sure how I should handle it. I thought maybe talking to you, since you have two boys of your own with you on this cruise, you may be able to give me some ideas of how I can go about identifying a potential situation that may be brewing on this cruise ship," continued Gerry Cooper.
"Sure, I'm all ears. Tell me what's on your mind and we can talk about it; so, let's go from there," replied Mr. Ken.
"Okay, here goes. You see, Mr. Ken, it's like this. An older lady has come to security, twice now, and has told us about something that she feels isn't right. She's told us that there is a man she's seen hugging these two boys and she doesn't feel it's right the way he hugs them. She hasn't given us much of a description of this person, or of the boys, so we can go talk to them but I was just wondering … you're with two boys on this cruise ship … has anyone accosted you, or came up to you, and asked why you are with these boys?"
"I sure hope you're not accusing me of doing anything inappropriate with my boys, Chief Cooper! I'll have you know I have a Special Power of Attorney with endorsements for Eric and I have Court approval and documentation for my 'son', my Foster Son, Robert to be with me on this cruise. So … if you have an accusation to make, you better not make it out here in public," a now angry Ken Thomas said to the Chief of Security.
"No, no, Mr. Ken, I'm not accusing you of anything like that. Please believe me! The Captain and I know from our meeting two years ago you are an upstanding leader of the community and we know you are a friend of the Governor of the State of Texas."
"I just thought that … that I would stop and ask you to help us in watching out for something that doesn't seem right to you. You see, all of my security team members wear identifying uniforms that anyone could see and it could make sure he didn't do anything out in the open. That's where I hoped you could help us identify, or even ascertain, if what the lady claims is even happening out in the open areas of the decks."
"There are so many families on this cruise ship and with so many fathers who are hugging their sons and their daughters it would be virtually impossible to a pick out any one particular individual. But even then, what this woman says is 'only' what she feels even though there has been no actual proof that something untoward is happening between this man and the these boys. That's what has me so perplexed and why I thought I would sit and talk to you get your ideas. I wanted to ask you to maybe help us … keep an eye out for anything inappropriate happening on our decks," explained Chief Cooper.
"Thank you for fully explaining that to me, I think. But really, I don't know what to tell you. First of all, I would have to know what this woman accusations actually are. Just because she sees a man hug his two boys that doesn't mean something is going on, or wrong there. Can I ask who this woman is?" relaxed Mr. Ken.
"Well, Mr. Ken, you see this lady … is one of our MOST valued guests on Disney® cruises. She's an older woman, very well to do by the way, who can use her connections against us if we don't at least listen to her. She means well, but sometimes she does have a tendency to see things that aren't there, or she'll slightly over exaggerate something she thought she saw. Anyway, so she came to us with this potential of some boys being on this cruise for something other than a vacation, and she thought we would check into it."
"Sure, I can keep an eye out for something, Gerry, but I really don't know how much use I can be," began Mr. Ken. "I would need to know more about what to look for and even then, as you said about there being loads of men hugging their boys. I hope we both know just because a man hugs his lads doesn't mean something unnatural is actually happening there. You just can't accuse anybody of anything unless you know 100% sure of yourself or you catch him in the act."
"Exactly Mr. Ken, you've already grasped our tenuous situation, as we see it. We've taken the lady's complaint and made a record of it and have it in our files. We have a vague description of the man, but that's all. And, she hasn't seen this man doing anything other than hug the boys. It seems she's gotten in her mind something isn't right there and thus she's come to us to investigate it," said Chief Cooper.
"Well, as I said, I'll keep my eyes open and report any suspicions I may have, but I'm on this cruise to enjoy a vacation along with Robert and Eric. Robert only came to me two and a half months ago and this vacation is to try to break down some barriers he's built up over the last couple of years. He and I have come a long way since he arrived at my doorstep, right after the first of the year."
"And, you know, I can see how the short time we've been on the ship he has begun to break out of the shell he had built around himself. So, to be honest with you, Robert is my first priority on this cruise. But you know that if I can I will help you out anyway I will," finished Mr. Ken.
"Thank you, Mr. Ken, I knew I could count on you in some part. By the way, the captain sends his regards and he's hoping that he and you and the boys can get together sometime during the cruise to have lunch or maybe even dinner. Well, I better get a move on, as the rest of the passengers will be arriving back from their excursions very soon. This is when they try to bring on items, when we are our busiest, that we can't allow on the ship. Bye Mr. Ken, and I know I'll be seeing you around the ship some more," offered Gerry Cooper, as he stood to continue on his way.
Mr. Ken also stood and the two men shook hands and gave each other a final farewell.
Mr. Ken then saw what time it was and he decided it was time for the boys to get back to their cabins and cleaned up and ready for dinner later that evening.
"Hey boys, what say we go back to our cabins get our showers, maybe relax a little bit, and then when it's time, we will meet up with Cam and Michele for dinner at 6 o'clock?" the man yelled out to the four boys, who were still enjoying the refreshing pool waters.
The boys gradually got out of the pool, used their towels to dry off, then they asked if they could have a quick snack and a drink before they went to the cabins. Mr. Ken smiled at the request knowing how swimming can make one not only hungry but also thirsty so he agreed that the five of them could go over to Pinocchio's pizzeria. He suggested they each get a slice of pizza and a glass of soda before they head to their cabins to get ready for this evening's meal. Mr. Ken was grateful none of the lads asked what the Chief of Security and he were talking about.
Just before dinner, Mr. Ken pulled Cam and Michele aside and told them of his conversation with Gerald Cooper, Disney Wonder's® Chief of Security. He told them he had no idea what that was all about but said he agreed to watch for something out of the ordinary and asked the Davies for their help too.
The rotational dinning for that evening put the Thomas and Davies groups back into the Animator's Palate for their evening meal. The boys made a 'game' out of picking what the changes in animation and colors would be by trying to guess what would change next. The four lads made the evening's meal more fun for the entire table with their antics from their 'wins' and 'fails'. People at nearby tables caught the drift of the boy's 'game' which made their meal more fun too, as they watched and heard the lads tease and congratulate one another.
As they did after previous meals, Robert and Eric hugged Mr. Ken. Then, seeing their new friends hugging their benefactor, Colton and Jerry hugged their mom and dad, too. Again, this did not go unnoticed by a certain older woman who was still convinced there was something 'not right' with these boys calling that twenty-something man 'dad'. This time as the boys headed out of the restaurant the woman decided to follow.
As the lads waited for an elevator to take them up to their cabin floor so they could change, the woman had gotten close enough to hear them decide to meet on Deck 9, at the Funnel Vision Movie Theater. Knowing she couldn't follow the lads to their cabins, the woman decided to go to Deck 9 and get a good seat near the movie screen.
The woman figured when the lads finally arrived and sat down, she'd move to a closer seat. That way, she figured, so she could overhear the two boy's conversations with their friends, which would invariably include some discussion of what they were doing with the man. She just knew, when she overheard the lads, she would then have 'proof positive' there was something inexcusable going on between them and that 'man'.
The four boys saw a woman waiting with them but didn't take any particular notice of the woman near them and when she didn't join them going UP, they put it out of their minds. The four then went their separate ways to get changed and hurried to their cabins to change, pee, then get up to Deck 9.
It was uncanny how the four boys arrived again at the same time where they had decided to meet. Noticing a crowd was already forming for the evening's movie, the four friends looked for and found four loungers together so they headed in that direction. The older woman saw where they were headed and hurried to a single lounger just across the aisle from them. Once seated, if you can call laying in a lounger that, Jerry and Robert headed to get popcorn for the four of them. Eric and Colt spread out their blankets for them, in order to 'hold' their places, and then arranged their own and waited for the fresh made popcorn to arrive.
The woman heard the talk about popcorn and now wished she had remembered to get some, too. To move things along, she decided she would start a conversation with the lads by asking if one of them would please get a bag for her. This, she figured, would get her to know them some. When Jerry and Robert returned and before they sat down, the older lady said, "Oh that smells so wonderful. I wonder if one of you lads would do this old woman a favor and get a bag of popcorn for me as well. Please?" Jerry immediately said he would and a few minutes later he brought a warm bag of popcorn to the woman.
The lads continued to rehash their Stingray City excursion among themselves while eating their popcorn and waiting for the Movie to begin. The nearby woman listened intently but never heard anything like what she hoped she'd hear. She decided to continue to listen while enjoying the movie.
When the movie ended, the lads decided to head to the Quarter Masters Arcade. They knew they now had money on their cards they could spend and this was the first time they had the opportunity to do so, so off they went. The nosey woman heard them talking and decided to follow them and headed that way too.
Down in the Cadillac Lounge, Ken, Cam and Michele talked some more about the conversation Mr. Ken had with the Chief of Security, Gerald Cooper. Neither of them could figure out why the man decided to talk to Ken unless Mr. Ken was a suspect since he did have two boys with him on the cruise. That did not make any sense to Mr. Ken, as he figured 'why tell the fox you were watching him?' They decided to forgo any more discussion about that 'talk' and continued to enjoy their adult beverages while they listened to the light sounding music.
As the lads talked and played some of the games in Quarter Masters Arcade, it was Jerry who noticed the older lady who sat next to them during the movie, and whom he got some popcorn for, was standing over in the corner. He mentioned it to Colt but he shrugged him off saying, "You're reliving what happened to Collin, so forget it!" Jerry insisted she was watching them and then mentioned it to Robert and Eric.
The three then looked in her direction and when she saw them looking at her she quickly walked away. Colt did see that and now the four boys wondered if there was something to it. They talked about it and came to the conclusion the lady had never been in the arcade and was just checking it out. They then went back to playing the arcade games.
At ten o'clock, the boys all said their 'good nights' and headed back to their respective cabins. Tomorrow they would be arriving at Falmouth, Jamaica at 7:45 AM and knew they needed to get enough sleep so they could enjoy whatever excursion Mr. Ken had decided for them. It was decided the four lads would again be accompanying Mr. Ken to whatever excursion he had chosen. Down in the Cadillac Lounge, the three adults also noticed the time so they too headed for their own cabins.
"Robert, it's time to wake up. We docked twenty minutes ago and we have to be down on the dock to meet up with our tour guide in about an hour. Come on now Robert … get up, 'son'," said Ken Thomas, as he lightly shook the lad in order to wake him.
Then, the man went to Eric. "Hey, Eric … it's time to get up, 'son'. Come on now, we have only an hour to get you two cleaned up and a bit of breakfast before our excursion begins.
Both sleepy lads sat up in the beds and looked around. They both yawned and Robert, being on the lower bed, got out of bed and stood up. What he totally forgot that morning was he wasn't in his own room and thus his very hard 'boy toy' was on display for not only Eric to see, but Mr. Ken as well.
Eric tried to warn Robert about his boner being very prominent but Mr. Ken saw it and commented, "Robert, I hope that 'arrow' below your waist will guide you to the bathroom so you can take care of it."
Robert was still slightly asleep and it didn't immediately register on his mind, that is until Eric said, 'Robert, XYZ!"
Robert, knowing the term 'XYZ" meant to 'check your zipper', looked down, saw he has his morning boner standing tall and quickly placed his hands in front of his pointing member and hurried to the bathroom to pee. Eric looked over to Mr. Ken and saw the man was smiling and then heard, "Eric … how about you too, XYZ before you get out of bed. I know we're all males in this room but … well, you know."
Eric did indeed know what the man meant so he did look under the blanket and saw his morning 'friend' had almost gone down, so he jumped off the bed and looked for some clean underwear and headed to the shower. He figured he could pee while taking his shower and thus save a few seconds. He laughed to himself as he thought that, but headed to the shower room anyway.
Robert decided to brush his teeth after he got his morning 'friend' under control. He also hoped his 'dad' wouldn't say anything to him when he went to get some clean boxer briefs, before he took his shower.
"Hey, Robert, 'son' … Eric is taking his shower right now so what say we have a little talk before it's your turn to get cleaned up?" spoke up 'dad' Ken, as the lad opened the half-bath door.
Robert got scared when he heard his 'dad' tell him he wanted to talk. He exited the half-bath with his head down and walked over to Mr. Ken and sat down on the bed.
Mr. Ken saw that the lad was a little scared so he pulled the boy into an arm hug and said, "Robert …'son', I know you recognized what happened this morning when you got out of bed. I want to talk to you about how you should handle those things when you aren't in your own room, say at home. Okay?"
"'Dad' I didn't mean to do that and … and I'm sorry it happened, but I had to pee, and bad, and I just did what I do at home. I rushed to the bathroom. But, what's so bad about you're seeing my erection? I know you've seen it already when you placed the sheet over Eric and me. Was what I did so bad we need to talk about it? Couldn't we just add it to our Tuesday Night Chats?" implored Robert.
Ken Thomas thought about what the lad suggested but then decided this was the better 'teaching moment', so he started. "Robert … yes … I have seen your penis and when it was hard but … why I wanted to talk to you about this is for when you are not at home. Now, don't get me wrong, virtually every lad from, let's say age 10, knows he wakes up with his penis standing tall. This is just a natural body function for us males, and every boy who has this problem knows he needs to pee before the darn thing will go down."
"The thing I want to ask you is … what would you do if you weren't at home? What if you're spending the night at Brad's, or one of your other friends'? When you wake up are you going to immediately head to their bathroom with your flagpole pointing the way? I sure hope not!"
"Granted, we are all males in this room and we've walked around naked in front of one another but when it comes to erections, well … we should be a bit more private about them. What I'm trying to say here, 'son', is … that you should be more careful about your erection where ever you are. Sure, those with you may have seen it but what if you're around people who haven't seen it, or better still, don't want to see it?"
Robert sat there a bit perplexed. He thought his 'dad' was going to yell at him, big time for parading around the cabin with his boner standing up but instead, the man was trying to get him to realize that it isn't nice to do it, no matter where you are.
"'Dad' I thought you were gonna be mad at me but all you did was want talk to me about certain situations I need to consider when I am away from my own bedroom. I know you'd seen me, you know, hard before, so, I didn't think it would be a big deal now. Now, I know what you are telling me. … I'm sorry 'dad' that I ran to the bathroom with my erection pointing the way and I promise I'll think about where I am the next time and I'll make sure the darn thing has gone down before I get out of bed."
"Thanks 'dad' for not yelling at me. I know you haven't ever done that but … well, I was afraid there for a few seconds until you started to talk. Can you forgive me, 'dad'?" finished up Robert.
Mr. Ken gave the pre-teen boy a great big hug and then said, "And, I sure hope you do! Your close friends, like Brad, Chuck, Trev and Eric, know all about morning flagpoles, as I am sure they get them as well, but you still need to consider where you are before you go parading around with that 'arrow' pointing the way. Okay?"
"Yes, 'dad'. I know what you mean. Oh … hi, Eric. You're finished with the shower?" replied then asked Robert. He then picked up the boxers he sat aside and headed to the shower.
Thinking Eric may have heard the last part of his talk with Robert, 'dad' Ken decided he'd have a quick talk with Eric. "Eric … did you happen to hear what I was talking to Robert about? I'm not mad if you did. But what say we have a quick talk while Robert takes his shower."
Ken quickly summarized what he said to his 'son' Robert and wanted to make sure Eric understood what the talk was all about. Eric agreed that what the man said made good sense and promised he would try to remember where he was, especially in the morning, and not get out of bed too fast. The two then had a good laugh followed by a great big hug between them. It wasn't long before the three travelers headed to the breakfast bar to pick up some 'walk-around' foods and then headed to the dock to meet up with Colt and Jerry, and their tour guide.
Cam and Michele were with their boys when Ken and Robert and Eric walked inside the cruise terminal. The three adults had a quick chat and then Cam and Michele walked away to catch a cab to downtown Falmouth. Mr. Ken and the boys looked for the paddle sign for their excursion – Bobsled Jamaica and Dunn's River Falls.
They loaded onto an air conditioned bus with about 15 other people and then headed off for the hour and a half ride to Dunn's River Falls. Along the way, the bus driver/tour guide explained to his passengers what they were seeing along the way. That made the long trip go smoother and faster as it kept the 20 or so people occupied.
The driver also told everyone the Falls were the location of the legendary battle of "Las Chorreras" which had been reduced to "Ocho Rios" or eight rivers. The battle was fought in 1657 and took place near Dunn's River Falls. It had been between the English and the Spanish Expeditionary Force from Cuba. The battle was in fact for ownership of the island and of course the English won.
When the travelers arrived at Dunn's River Falls they were surprised to find the place already crowded with lots and lots of tourists. Mr. Ken quickly asked the driver how he could navigate the throng of people so his kids could enjoy the tour. The driver told the man to rent water shoes for everyone and then join the group walking up the falls. Ken Thomas did just that but also found himself renting two lockers for all the dry clothes they had over their swim suits.
They quickly joined a group that just begun the 600 foot climb from the base of the falls and hand-in-hand, like a human daisy chain were guided by competent staff. The scenery was spectacular and Mr. Ken took as many pictures with his water proof camera as he could. He also had the guide take their pictures as they posed under the falls. They eventually got into the cooler waters cascading down towards the beach and the boys had a good time just enjoying something so new and exciting.
When it was their time to head for the Bobsled Ride, they boarded the transportation for the short drive to Mystic Mountain. Upon arrival, they got in line before embarking on the Sky Explorer chairlift for the approximately 15-minute ride through the thick tropical forest overlooking the turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea. The wide chair lift could easily hold four people but the five of them squeezed in so they could all experience the ride to the top together. During the ride, Mr. Ken took many pictures as the chairlift rode through the top of the canopy. The ride provided all of them glimpses of the cliff-lined north shore and the emerald treetops.
Finally, after a short walk from the chairlift, they arrived at what the boys had anticipated the entire time up the mountain, the Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica of Mystic Mountain. Mr. Ken was initially concerned about each boy operating their own bobsled but after seeing kids younger than his four he knew the ride had to be safe. The line moved fairly quickly and as they approached the start a guide explained how to operate the sled.
The boys had already decided in which order they would descend so Colt went first. He was followed by Robert then Jerry and finally Eric. Mr. Ken told the boys 'he'd bring up the rear and pick up their pieces'. They all had a good laugh as they climbed into their sled. Their turn came and they were off with a short period of time between each rider.
The ride began slowly but as the sled began its descent through 3,280 feet of twists and turns the speed picked up. The guide recommended they stay off the brakes to really enjoy the speed and all five rode down as fast as they dared. They traveled curves around ancient trees as they hugged the majestic cliff faces and limestone outcroppings looming over the shoreline. They also rode through narrow chutes of dense rainforest and they could feel the cool air created by the dense foliage of the trees. .
At the bottom they came to a graceful stop and then rode their sled as they slowly raised back through the rainforest, to the top of the mountain, completing the entire circuit in about 8 minutes. The ride down went by so fast that Mr. Ken didn't have time to take any pictures. He hoped they would have pictures and videos of them all riding the bobsled, when they reached the top again. He did manage to take a few pictures of the forest as he rode back to the top.
When their adventure was over, the four lads couldn't contain their enthusiasm. They continually talked over one another as they tried to tell each other how they saw and enjoyed the bobsled ride. It took Mr. Ken a few minutes to settle them down after enticing them with a delicious Jamaican-inspired lunch.
After lunch they walked up to the observation tower and saw spectacular views of the north shore, including the town of Ocho Rios and the harbor. They also enjoyed the infinity pool and waterslide while the whole time the lads continued to talk about their bobsled run. Before they knew it, it was time to depart and they rode the Sky Explorer back to the base of the mountain, boarded the waiting transportation and headed back to the ship. It had been a long day for all five, but they all agreed it had been worth it. Every boy caught a 'cat nap' on the way back to the ship.
The day had indeed been a long one and when the intrepid travelers returned to their ship, seven plus hours after they departed on the excursion, they knew they didn't have time for a quick dip in Goofy's Pool. Mr. Ken and his two lads said the goodbyes to Colt and Jerry, and the two groups headed to their respective cabins. Robert and Eric told their 'dad' to get his shower first and he readily agreed to do so. Twelve minutes later, a refreshed, boxer clad man exited the shower bathroom and yelled, "Next!"
Eric took his shower next but took a little bit longer than Mr. Ken. When he exited the shower fifteen minutes later, he apologized for forgetting his underwear but said in his defense 'he was still warm from the quick walk to the cabin and warm shower and he was thoroughly enjoying the cool cabin air on his entire naked body'. All Mr. Ken could do was laugh at the lad and tell Robert to get his shower and not to have the water so hot he needed to walk around naked too. All three had a good laugh as Robert showed he indeed had a clean pair of boxer briefs in-hand as he entered the shower bathroom.
It was ten minutes past 6 o'clock when the seven now close friends, joined together for their evening meal. That night they were again in Triton's. The boys sat across from one another and decided to order at least one different menu item to try. Dinner turned out to be a relaxed affair. Robert and Eric talked more about their excursion than Colt and Jerry did, and before they knew it, they saw people waiting outside the restaurant for the 'late' dinner seating. The seven hurried to finish their deserts and then decided to talk about their evening plans out in the vestibule.
The lads said they were going to watch the evening movie and then head to the arcade. Robert and Eric both teased their 'dad' by saying for him not to wait up for them as they intended to stay out 'till midnight, since the next day was a 'sea' day. Robert, and then Eric gave Mr. Ken a great big hug and both called him 'dad' before they left to go change.
Again, the nosey older woman heard the exchange and was miffed that security hadn't 'fixed' that problem. Instead of going into the dining room, she headed for the nearest security officer and demanded the Chief of Security to meet with her, immediately. She paced back and forth as she waited or Gerald Cooper to arrive.
"Mr. Cooper," bellowed the older woman, "you're Chief of Security on this vessel and if you wish to remain so you WILL take action against that, that man who I constantly see hugging these two lads who I now know their names to be Colt and Jerry.. There is NO WAY that man is related to either of the boys nor is he their father. Now … I am telling you that I insist you take some action to remove that man from, from being with those boys, and do it NOW!"
Gerald Cooper listened to the woman rant and then he became upset that the woman dared to use her so-called 'contacts' and force him out of his position that took him over twenty years to attain. He'd listened to the woman once before about this unnamed man and knew all she had was speculation and insinuation against the man. The more he thought about his two interactions with the woman, the more incensed he became over the entire, unsubstantiated accusation. He'd talked to the Captain about the issue, and the woman's insistence, but the Captain told him to handle it the 'right' way. This all went through his mind when he'd finally had enough.
"Madam, you just cannot go around and make accusations about someone without one iota of proof!" began the Chief of Security. "We've taken your complaints, multiple complaints mind you, and have spent many hours trying to find this unnamed, unidentified man and his two boys. It seems it's ONLY you who sees something wrong whereas my entire section hasn't seen nor heard of any other complaints from any other passengers."
The woman stood open-mouthed over what she was hearing from the Chief of Security. She couldn't believe the man was discounting what she, a prominent and rich woman and multiple Platinum Castaway Club Member had to say. She saw an opening, when the man took a breath and she struck.
"Now, you listen to me, I will not stand here and have you insult me the way you just did. If you value your job you'll take my observations as PROOF of what I saw, and make an arrest, or something of that man, and remove those boys from his influence. I will not stand here and have you berate me, a multiple Platinum Castaway Club member in the manner you just have. And, when I have the opportunity, let me tell you, I will contact my friend, the Vice President of Global Security for Disney®, and don't think I won't use my influence to have you fired, if you do not take action, and I mean NOW!" loudly announced the now red faced woman.
Gerry Cooper, Chief of Security, took the now given opportunity to respond and respond he did. "Lady … I do not take kindly to your threats! You are a paying passenger on this ship, just like any other passenger, and … even though you may be a Platinum Castaway member, it does NOT give you any more privileges than any other paying guests and especially, any authority over me or how I perform my job."
Chief Gerry Cooper was on a roll. "Now … until you have definite proof of which you claim, that something has occurred I do NOT want to hear another complaint from you about this unidentified man and those boys. You have the option to call, or write anyone you please, but best you make sure you tell the whole story and the whole truth that you suspect something about what you claim but could not bring positive proof, or it will be I … who has the last laugh. Good-night ma'am!" Chief of Security Gerald Copper then hurriedly walked away from the woman.
"Wait! I do know the names of the two boys – Colt and Jerry," yelled out the nosey woman. Hearing the names of the lads, Gerry Cooper stopped and turned back to the woman.
"Are you positive the boys names are Colt and Jerry?" demanded Security Chief Cooper.
"Yes, I am positive! I heard their parents call to them out in the terminal earlier today. Now, what are going to do about it?" now demanded the older woman.
"Ma'am, I actually know those two boys, and I'll have you know those boys are with their mother and father and if their dad decided to hug them, then who am I to put a STOP to that, huh? For three days now you've been haranguing us over something that is none of your concern and obviously it is none of our concern either. Those boys, as well as their parents, are frequent cruisers with Disney® and all four are Platinum Castaway Club members, such as yourself. I advise you to drop this outlandish charge you are harboring and leave well enough alone. Now … as I stated a bit ago, Goodnight Ma'am!" With that said, Gerald Cooper, Chief of Security, again hurried away from the woman who he knew was giving him ulcers.
The woman could not believe the man discounted her belief and knowledge of the facts as she knew them, and stormed off too. She headed to Deck 9 to find those boys and figure out a way to get their cabin number and the name of the man they were with. Along the way, her mind played over what she found out that morning and just knew there had to be a mistake. The two boys not only hug the man that IS their Father, they also hug the younger twenty-something man and call him 'dad'. There is something fishy going on there, she thought and so continued on her way to find 'proof', and would no matter what it took.