THE FAIR by BOOMERCAT RATED FRPT

A story from the Tracys' childhoods. The family goes to the Kansas State Fair.

Jefferson Tracy took a deep breath and tried to still the pounding of his heart. He told himself he was called 'The Man Of Steel' in his Air Force days. But that didn't keep him from the panic that was starting to grip him.

It had all seemed so brilliant last fall. He had been seriously disappointed when his second son, thirteen- year-old Virgil had brought home a report card with all B's except for one C. To that point, Virgil had followed in his older brother's footsteps, bringing home mostly A's year after year. Unlike Scott, however, Virgil had had a hard growth spurt in the late summer, and the subsequent onset of puberty left the boy unhappy and distracted.

Jeff had been amazed at the differences between the two boys. Scott had sailed through early puberty as he sailed through his classes at school. The gradual deepening of his voice and changes in his body has been taken in stride and his new popularity with the girls in school he accepted as his due. Virgil, on the other hand, was suffering all of the woes of a rapidly changing body and a mind struggling to catch up. Virgil was still Virgil, of course, a sturdy, bright, hard-working student with a gift for the arts. But he had grown seven inches in less than three months, and was awkward and unsure of himself.

Jeff, of course, had not really understood what was happening. His own adolescence had more closely followed Scott's pattern. All he saw was his usually likable son becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative. He thanked his lucky stars that his own mother was more intuitive than he was, and after a raging fight between father and son had taken Jeff aside and pointed out a few things.

Jeff had taken his mother's advice to heart and instead of punishing Virgil for the poor grades, had devised a plan to encourage his son to concentrate at school. Jeff thought the plan he came up with was dynamic. Not only would it encourage Virgil to strive for better grades, but it would also be a lesson in goal setting, and the rewards of hard work. He included all of the boys in his plan, wanting to encourage them all to learn to work together as a team.

The plan was simple, really. For each A on the report card, the boy in question would earn ten dollars that would be put in "The Fair Fund." Two years earlier, Jeff had taken his boys to the Kansas State Fair, and the entire family had a fabulous time. Calling on those memories, he told his boys that the way to get there was good grades. Any grade lower than a B would disqualify that child from going. Only A's would earn spending cash for the fair. Any D's or F's would mean the whole deal was off, and the family would stay home.

Actually, Jeff felt the terms were fairly easy. None of his boys were slow. He knew that straight B's could be obtained by coasting. Little Alan, in second grade, didn't get standard grades yet, so his goal was for 'exceptional' in all categories. Jeff had been pleased when all five of the boys turned in straight A's on their winter report cards. The big poster for the fair in the hallway of their home kept the prize firmly in their minds, and they all, including Virgil, bent to with a will.

The schools in the Finney County United School District were on the quarter system, so when the boys again scored straight A's in March, Jeff patted himself on the back for being a forward thinking father. His sons were working as a team, the older boys tutoring the younger, and each taking the other's good grades as a personal triumph.

It was only when June rolled around, and the final report cards given that Jeff discovered the flaw in his plan. One by one the boys had strutted in, handing over report cards that once again showed straight A's. As he totaled up the final scores, he realized that each of his boys had garnered over $200.00 in spending cash. Six grader Johnny and third grader Gordon had each earned 300.00, due to the elementary school's grading policy. Even seven-year-old Alan earned $240.00.

Jeff had sat back in consternation. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it. His business had started taking off, and for the first time in his life, he had a surplus of cash in the bank. No, he had the money, but the very idea of his sons running wild with that kind of money was hard to swallow.

Although he was a man of his word, he had tried suggesting that some of the money be to be used for accommodations. The words had barely left his mouth when eleven-year-old Johnny had disappeared at a run only to reappear with his copy of the 'contract' they had drawn up months before. With the skill of lawyer arguing before the Supreme Court, Johnny had pointed out the relevant clause. "If all five participants bring home straight A's, the party of the first part, that's you, Dad, will provide lodging at the Hutchinson Plaza."

With five earnest pairs of eyes on him, he had backed down, secretly proud of how the boys had stood up to him. They had arrived at the Hutchinson Plaza Hotel yesterday evening, and the boys had promptly worn themselves out swimming in the hotel pool. Later, in one of three connecting suites that he shared with his sons and his mother, he watched young Gordon and Alan. His heart had swelled with paternal love at the sight of his two youngest, looking like angels as they slept.

In the morning, Jeff had awakened at 5:30am with the sun just beginning to appear in the cracks of the curtains of the room. He lay quietly, wondering what had disturbed his sleep. After a moment, he rolled over to check on the boys in the other bed only to find both Gordon and Alan wide awake and fully dressed, sitting on the edge of their bed, waiting patiently for him to wake up. As soon as he saw the light of his father's eyes, Alan piped up, "We're ready, Daddy."

With a groan, Jeff had sighed, "Boys, the fair doesn't start until ten. That's not for another four hours. Now, the both of you go back to sleep." Jeff had rolled away to end the conversation. He was aware of whispering behind him, but eventually he had slipped back into sleep.

He awoke an hour later, this time startled by the total silence. He looked over at the queen-sized bed the boys shared only to find it empty. All thoughts of sleep fled as Jeff leapt from his bed. Before he could panic, he noticed the connecting door to the second of the three rooms he had rented was ajar. Striding over, he found this room was also empty. Well, almost empty anyway. In one of the two beds under a pile of rumpled blankets, he found Virgil, still fast asleep. Scott and John were gone, however. He looked to the door to the third room, but it was shut tight. He strode over and put an ear to the door, but heard nothing. His mother was apparently still asleep.

Realizing that Scott was with the boys relieved Jeff's mind, and he returned to his room for a quick shower. A short time later, he had gone down to the hotel's restaurant, and when he found no sign of his sons there, he headed to the hotel's indoor pool. He heard the squeals even before he entered the area, and he knew he had found his boys. Sure enough, John, Gordon and Alan were all in the pool, playing something that looked like a cross between tag and keep away. Scott was slouched in a patio chair watching his brothers.

With a smile, Jeff left the area before any of the boys had seen him. Striding over to the restaurant, he ordered a pot of coffee, and another of hot chocolate, and armed with the drinks and cups on a tray headed back to the pool. Reaching the table where Scott sat, Jeff called out, "Good morning, son."

Scott startled from a half doze, and seeing the coffee, reached for a cup. "Good morning, Father. You're a life saver."

"Isn't a bit early for the pool, Scott?"

Scott's response was rueful. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? I was sound asleep, then I woke up. I looked over at Virgil's bed, and there they were."

"Who?"

"The terrible two, that's who. They were just sitting there in their swim trunks, staring at me. As soon as they saw I was awake, they started in."

"You should have just sent them back to bed."

"Aww, Dad, you know how much they love swimming pools. Besides, as soon as they started, Johnny woke up, and you know he can never get back to sleep once he's awake."

Jeff nodded. "Well, how long have you been up?"

Scott looked at his watch, "About an hour."

"Have you had breakfast?"

'No, I figured we'd wait for you and Grandma."

"I'll tell you what, son, why don't you go back to bed? I'm up and ready for the day, I'll watch the boys."

Scott shook his head. "I'm up now. I might as well stay up, but I'll tell you what, I would like to go take a shower. The rugrats wouldn't let me earlier."

"Scott, you shouldn't let those two bully you, you know. Go ahead and get your shower. I'll see you in a while."

"Thanks, Dad." Jeff watched as his lanky son walked away, then called the other three from the pool to have a cup of hot chocolate.

That had been early this morning when all had been right with his world. Now, Jeff was in a state of near panic. They had arrived at the fairgrounds fifteen minutes before the gates had opened along with what seemed to be half of the citizens of Kansas. He had given Scott and Virgil strict instructions to look after John and to meet him in front of the grandstand entrance at 2 p.m. and don't be late. He had told Gordon and Alan they were to stick close by his side. He had warned all of the boys about flashing their money about. He did a quick check to be sure all were presentable and clean.

He had foolishly thought he was ready, but he hadn't taken into account the herd mentality of the huge crowd of fairgoers. The minute the gates were opened, the crowd surged forward sweeping Jeff along with them. He held Gordon and Alan's hands, but they both were pulled away by the ebb and surge of people. He had spent the last ten minutes searching for them, his thoughts gradually turning from annoyance to fear. There could be any number of perverts in a crowd like this, and his two innocent babies wouldn't have a chance.

Jeff had been downright rude to an older couple who had recognized him as the hero of the second wave of moon landings some years before. He knew his mother would be shocked as his abruptness with them, but his mind was on more precious things, and he had turned his back on their excited chatter. Eventually, the crowd thinned out, and stillness rather than movement drew Jeff's eye.

He almost cried out in his relief when he spotted the boys calmly sitting on a bench, each devouring an enormous wad of bright blue cotton candy. Bucking the tide of people, Jeff made his way to where the boys sat, seemingly unperturbed at being alone. Jeff had resolved to give his boys as much freedom as he could, but he was already formulating the lecture in his head when suddenly Alan caught sight of him approaching.

With a shriek of relief, the small towhead dropped the cotton candy and came running as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Jeff scooped up his small son and hugged him tight. He felt arms grasping him around the waist and looked down to find Gordon, eyes shining with relief. "Don't ever do that again, Daddy. We couldn't find you."

Jeff crouched down and held both of his boys. "It's all right. It's all right, I'm here now."

Feeling the eyes of the crowd upon him, Jeff lifted both boys up and carried them back to the bench and sat down with Gordon to one side and Alan to the other. After a few moments of Alan's sniffles, Gordon poked his brother and said, "See? I told you Daddy would find us. There was nothing to worry about." Alan nodded his head and smiled, but didn't let go of his deathgrip on Jeff's hand.

Crisis averted, Gordon reached down to the ground where he had dropped his cotton candy, and picking it up, made as if to take a bite. "Gordon! Throw that away! You don't know what kind of germs it could have picked up."

With a sigh, Gordon got up and walked a few feet to a trash receptacle, and dropped the dirtied delicacy in. He stood staring at it for a moment then came back and climbed up on the bench leaning against his father. The tender moment was over soon though as both boys started taking more interest in their surroundings. A tram decked out to look like a train pulled up across the walkway and both Alan and Gordon perked up. "Daddy, can we ride that?"

"Please, Daddy, can we?"

Jeff looked it over. He remembered the tram from their previous visit. It traveled all through the fairgrounds with stops at all the major exhibits. A day long ticket cost ten dollars, and it had proved a godsend later in the day when the boys had both fallen asleep and become deadweights for him and Scott to carry. Pulling his hand from Alan's, Jeff made to reach for his wallet, when he realized his hand was sticky.

Looking down, he saw that both Gordon and Alan's faces were shiny with the blue sugar of the cotton candy they had been eating. "Boys, what did we say about eating healthy snacks at the fair?"

Gordon recited, "We should only eat fruit during the day or we might get sick and have to go home."

"The last I heard, cotton candy is not a fruit."

"But Daddy, it wasn't a snack. It was a treat. I bought it for Gordy and he bought it for me, so it doesn't count."

Jeff couldn't help the short bark of laughter. He would have covered his eyes with his hand, but his hand was sticky. Shaking his head, he said, "Did you two really think you were going to slip that one past me?"

With identical grins, the two boys shrugged. Laughing Jeff said, "Okay, let's find a restroom and wash up and then we'll take that train and see the sights. Oh, and for the record, no more treats without my permission, got it?"

"Okay, Daddy." Both boys replied. The restroom turned out to be a trap in and of itself. Instead of a traditional line of sinks, there was a circular fountain affair that immediately captivated the boys. Jeff had noticed this fascination with water before. His mother called them both water babies. They loved swimming or splashing through the lawn sprinklers. Even baths held an appeal for them.

After watching them splashing the water all over themselves and each other, Jeff crossed his arms and said dryly, "You boys have waited all year to come to this fair. Now, are we going to go have fun, or are we going to hang out in the bathroom all day?"

The two youngsters immediately stopped playing and ran to their father, "Fun, fun, fun!" they chanted.

Jeff sighed as four little hands grabbed his pants and shirt. "Boys, I am not a towel. Go dry your hands and let's get this show on the road." Giggling, the boys, one redhead, one blond ran to the rank of hand dryers, and typically shared the same one, playfully pushing and shoving to get their hands dry.

Jeff waited tolerantly, then firmly holding their hands, he led them out into the bright sunshine. The next several hours were a whirlwind of pig races and magic shows, elephant rides and puppet theaters. Jeff purposely steered his children away from the carnival area, knowing those delights were better left to his older boys, but he did relent when Alan spotted the Ferris Wheel. It stood over one hundred and thirty feet high, and Jeff was as excited to ride it as the two boys were.

Alan and Gordon delighted him by insisting on buying his ticket with their own money, and when they had ridden it once, Jeff had returned the favor and bought tickets to ride a second time. When they stepped off the ride the second time, the boys clamored for a third ride. Jeff however had spotted something and he firmly told the boys no, and shepherded them away towards an eating area.

The two children looked wide-eyed at the array of gooey sweet treats available at the line of booths, but Jeff had something else in mind. Still seated where he had spotted them from the Ferris Wheel was the older couple he had so rudely blown off earlier. Striding up to them, Jeff offered his apologies for his boorish behavior and introduced his sons with an explanation of what had happened. The man and his wife turned out to be middle school science teachers from Rhode Island, and were entirely amazed that Jeff had sought them out.

Jeff would have stayed to talk to them, but it was nearing time for his rendezvous with the rest of his family. With apologies, he herded his youngest toward the grandstand entrance. To get there, Jeff and the boys had to travel directly through the carnival. It took all of Jeff's parenting skills to drag the youngsters away from the gaudy array of games and rides. Finally, he simply picked Alan up, and held firmly on to Gordon's hand and marched straight through.

Despite all of the noise and craziness of the carnival midway, when John screamed, Jeff's head swiveled like radar latching on. Over the canvas awnings at the end of the line of booths, Jeff saw a horrifying sight. It was a ride called The Ejection Seat. It used heavy duty bungee cords that were pulled taut then released flinging it's human passengers high in the air where they bounced several times before being pulled back down to the ground.

Jeff hadn't liked the ride the one time he tried it as a twenty-something in the air force. The lack of control was terrifying to him. As his middle boy screamed again, Jeff started to grow angry. Scott and Virgil were supposed to take care of John, not risk his life on a thrill ride. Jeff changed directions, and pulling Gordon along stomped off toward the ride. When he reached the area, he quickly spotted Scott sitting indolently on a picnic table his arm draped over the shoulders of a pretty young thing that Jeff was sure did not live in their hometown of Kalvesta. The sight fueled his anger. Scott had never before been so reckless with the care of his brothers.

As his temper boiled, he became aware of Alan squirming and Gordon calling, "Daddy, can we go watch? Daddy? Can me and Alan go watch?"

Coming back to the present, Jeff let Alan down and released Gordon's hand. "All right. But don't wander off. When Johnny is done, come over to the tables." As the boys left at a run, Jeff called after them, "Gordon, hold on to your brother's hand!"

The boys ran to the fence surrounding the ride and were soon cheering their screaming brother on. Jeff turned his attention to his eldest. "Scott Tracy!" he roared. "What on earth do you think you are doing!"

Scott jumped to his feet, and the little blond girl disappeared into the crowd. "Dad! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Can't you hear your brother screaming? What were you thinking letting him get on a ride like that? He's only eleven years old! And where's Virgil? Have you lost him altogether?"

Frowning, Scott made soothing gestures, "Calm down, Dad. Virg just had to use the facilities. He's right over there."

Scott pointed to the fence where Virgil had joined Gordon and Alan in cheering for John. Jeff glanced over then turned back to his son. In a calmer voice, he said, "Son, when I entrust you with the care of your brothers, I expect you to take that charge seriously. Johnny is just a little boy. He looks up to you. You shouldn't have let him go on that ride alone. If he insisted, you or Virgil should have gone with him. The last thing I expected was to find him all alone while you flirted with your little friend."

Scott sighed. "Dad, I did go on that ride with him. Twice. Virg went with him twice. This is his fifth time on it. He's worn us both out."

"Five times? He's been on that thing five times?" Jeff's jaw dropped.

Scott looked over his father's shoulder and rolled his eyes. "No, including this one, it'll be six times."

Jeff spun around to find John still in his seat, but bracketed this time by Gordon and Alan. "Oh my God." Jeff took a step toward the ride, but it was too late, the seat was released and his three youngest sons went flying up into the air.

Their screams of delight rent the afternoon air and Jeff could do nothing but watch and pray that the ride wouldn't choose this moment to fail. After an eternity, the ride was pulled back to earth, and the three excited children jumped off and ran again to the ticket booth.

Jeff hurried over. "Hold up there, John. No more rides. It's two o'clock and we promised to meet your grandmother, remember?"

Johnny looked up at the determined face of his father and gave in gracefully. "Okay, Dad."

Gordon was less amenable. "But Daddy, Johnny went six times. Allie and me have to go five more times to catch up."

Jeff looked at the earnest eight-year-old. "No, you and Alan do not have to catch up. Now all of you come along. You want to see if Grandma won a prize don't you?"

The youngsters looked longingly at the exciting ride, but knowing there was no argument that would be successful, they both dragged their feet and followed along. Virgil trailed along behind, doing what he and Scott called 'riding drag'.

As it happened, the family was ten minutes late reaching the grandstand. As soon as Gordon spotted their beloved grandmother, he and Alan went running. "Grandma, Grandma! We got to ride an elephant!"

"And we saw the two-headed dog, and the bubble boy and th' big fish and we betted on some pigs, but we lost, and we had watermelon and cotton candy and…"

"And we went to this magic show, and this lady got in this box and disappeared, and this man made a bird come right out of a kid's shoe and…"

"And we got lost and Daddy found us and we got to ride the Fairest Wheel and that big slingshot thing and…"

"Boys! Boys, calm down. Stop pawing at your grandmother, there will be plenty of time to tell her all about it later. Mom, did they do the judging yet?"

Tiny though she was, Ruth Tracy was as tough as they come, and she hugged her two young grandsons to her. "Oh yes, and would you believe it? I took the blue ribbon!"

Jeff beamed, but it was John who answered, voice full of indignation, "Well of course you did, Grandma. Everybody knows you make the best pies. They'd have to be stupid not to give you first prize."

Ruth smiled, and caressed her stalwart defender's cheek, "It's one thing to win at the county fair, dear, but quite another to win here. I was just that proud when they told us."

"Speaking of us, how did Mrs. Fought do?" Virgil asked curiously. Ruth's good friend, Tina Fought had accompanied the Tracy family to the fair. Like Ruth's apple pies, Tina's bread and butter pickles were consistent winners at the local fairs.

"Well, I don't know. They were still judging when I left to meet up with you all."

"Why don't we all head over there, Mom? We can watch Tina get her blue ribbon, then go get some lunch."

The whining started almost immediately. "Daddy, we're not hungry. We want to go on some more rides."

"You can go on rides later, boys, now come along."

Offering his arm to his mother, Jeff headed out for the Domestic Arts building, relying on Scott and Virgil to keep the younger ones in line. As they walked Ruth asked quietly, "What was that Alan was saying about getting lost?"

Jeff sighed. It was too much to hope for that that comment had gotten past his mother. "We got separated coming through the main gate. It was like a cattle stampede, Mom. One minute they were next to me, and the next they were gone. Scared me to death. Just about when I was going to call out the State Police, I spotted them sitting on a bench, pretty as you please, stuffing their mouths with cotton candy."

"Oh, Jeff! That stuff is pure sugar. I thought you were going to have a talk with them about food at the fair."

Leave it to his mother to focus on what did happen rather than on what could have happened. "Well, I did, but apparently I left a loophole. I told them only healthy snacks. They've been taking lawyer lessons from Johnny, though. You know what they said?"

Smiling in anticipation, Ruth asked, "What?"

"They said it was a treat because Gordon bought one for Alan and Alan bought one for Gordon. They got it in their little heads that treats are different from snacks and therefore it was okay."

Ruth laughed out loud. "Bless their crooked little hearts! What did you say?"

"Oh, I basically told them they hadn't fooled me and not to do it again, but Mom, I was so glad they were safe, I didn't have the heart to come down hard on them."

"Well, good for you, Jeff. Those boys are all good boys. They've toed the line for almost a year. One day of fun won't erase a lifetime of good training. Just you let them cut loose a bit, and they'll reward you with their love and good behavior for months to come."

Jeff nodded, but his thoughts turned to the scene with Scott. He knew in his heart that Scott would lay down his life for any one of his brothers. It was just the thought of any of his boys in danger made Jeff see red, and he had lit into his oldest son without thinking. He resolved to make it up to the young man if he could.

Reaching the Domestic Arts building, the family entered the judging area and sat on hard plastic seats. Tina was nowhere to be found, and the judges were involved in tasting bread. "Oh, my! They're doing the grand prize judging already? Oh, Jeff, pies are right after breads! Oh, I don't know if I can stand to watch."

Jeff grinned as his mother fluttered. "Mom, calm down. Johnny was right. They'd have to be stupid not to give you the prize."

John piped up from his seat near the end of the row, "Aunt Tina, we're over here!"

Jeff watched as all five of his sons stood up and waved to attract the attention of their grandmother's friend. Tina Fought barely stood four foot ten and even Gordon and Alan were practically eye-to-eye with her. But there was nothing childlike about the graying dynamo. Upon spotting the boys, Tina strode with an aggressive stride to where they all stood waiting for her. "Move down, boys, I want to sit next to your grandma."

All five obediently shifted over, and Tina sat on Ruth's right side as Jeff sat on her left. "Well, Ruthie, we're both in the competition for grand prizes! My pickles won!"

The boys, sitting beyond, clapped their hands and cheered. Mrs. Fought was a frequent visitor to the house, and the boys all adored her. Tina grinned and nodded her head, graciously accepted the praise. She turned back and gripped Ruth's arm. "Did you see that white bread? I can't help but think it's going to win."

Ruth shook her head, "I'm not so sure, dear. Those fancy loafs of pumpkin and zucchini bread look awfully good."

"Yes, but that fancy stuff will always lose to a good simple loaf of white bread, if it's made right, and that bread is made right, you can tell. It's that woman over in Liberty. Remember? The one that won the fancy cake division that last time?"

"Oh yes, I remember her. She was a sweet gal, we had a nice chat."

Jeff rapidly became bored, and wondered how long the judges were going to take. He looked down the row at his sons, and saw swinging legs. It was only a matter of time before his kids got fed up with this sitting around. Catching Scott's eye, he whispered over the short heads of his mother and her friend. "Scott, if the boys get rambunctious, take them on out, would you? The aquariums are in the next building over. They loved that the last time."

Scott nodded, then turned his attention back to the stage as the head judge announced the findings. As Mrs. Fought had predicted, the white bread took the high honors. The winner was suddenly there beaming, accepting a large purple and gold rosette and a crystal bowl.

Within a few minutes the stage was cleared of bread, and the pies arrived. Ruth grabbed Jeff's hand in a bone-crushing grip as she saw her competition. Her apple pie stood against a lemon meringue, a pecan, and several fruit pies, including a towering strawberry pie with a picture perfect glaze. His mom's pie looked very simple and homey compared to some of the other, more showy pies. Jeff hoped that simple worked for pies the way it worked for bread.

Seeing how tense she was, Virgil called out from several seats down, "Grandma, relax, it's in the bag."

All of the boys nodded their agreement, but Ruth's grip did not lessen. The judging took twenty minutes. Near the end, Ruth had whispered, "Tina, I think I'm going to be sick."

Tina replied in her no nonsense way, "No you are not! Ruth Tracy, you are going to sit here and when your name is announced you are going to walk up to that stage and collect your prize. Remember, no doubt, no fear, that's the rule."

Jeff's first instinct was to be solicitous, but hearing Tina's comments, he nodded firmly and re-iterated, "No doubt, no fear, Mom."

When Ruth's name was announced a few minutes later, she strode down the aisle with her head held high, the wild cheering of her family at her back. In addition to the rosette and crystal bowl, a local baking concern had contributed a golden commemorative pie plate.

Jeff rushed to help, as his mother left the stage, juggling her prizes. The boys gathered around laughing and hugging Ruth and each other. Tina came up, and pushed her way past the boisterous boys, "One down, and one to go!"

Alan was too young to be tactful. "You mean we gotta wait around here some more?"

Tina reached out to ruffle his golden hair. "No Allie, they won't be judging the pickles for at least another hour. I'm famished. Why don't we all go out and get something to eat?"

Alan considered then nodded, "Okay, Aunt Tina. Only after lunch, me and Gordy wanna ride some more rides."

"What? You've been on rides? What kind of rides?" Tina grabbed Alan's hand and led the way out of the building. Jeff was of two minds about his mother's friend. There was no question but that his boys all adored her. More importantly, they respected her and would mind her. But the woman had been notorious in her younger days for a wild life style. Even now there were rumors of lovers visiting her small bungalow in town. Jeff had never met Tom Fought, Tina's late husband, but he suspected had he not died in an accident that he would have long ago shed himself of Tina and her wandering eye.

For the moment, he was willing to allow her in the boys' lives. And they all treated her as a second grandmother. Gordon and Alan were regaling her with their adventures and Virgil and John were escorting Ruth with their own tales. Jeff looked over at Scott and felt a rush of pride at the fine young man his son had become. He threw a friendly arm over his son's shoulder and said, "How are you doing? Do you need some time to get away? I'll keep Virgil and Johnny with me if you want to go find that girl again?"

"Thanks Dad, but I was thinking the same thing. I can take the rugrats with me and the guys and give you some time to enjoy yourself."

Jeff smiled. "That's very thoughtful, son, but I've pretty much decided to take them back to the hotel after lunch. Let them swim, and settle them down then bring them back this evening. I'll take Johnny along with me, how's that?"

Scott looked at his father and lowered his voice. "Dad, Virg tossed his cookies after riding that Ejection Seat the second time. It's starting to get really hot out here. I think we all should take a breather. There's fireworks tonight, but not until 9:30, and if we don't go relax for a while all of us, including Grandma are going to be cranky."

Jeff nodded. He felt the same way, but he didn't want to press his older boys to leave the fun and excitement of the fair. "All right. That's what we'll do, then."

Slipping his arm from Scott's shoulders, Jeff moved up to walk next to Virgil. "Son? Are you all right?"

Virgil rolled his eyes. "I told Scott not to tell you. I'm fine, Dad. I just got swung around too much."

Ruth was immediately concerned. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

"It was nothing, Grandma. I just puked a little bit."

"Yeah, Virgil's got a delicate constitution." John smirked.

Ruth stopped dead in her tracks and gave John a hard look. John ducked his head and mumbled, "Sorry, Grandma."

Jeff said mildly, "Apologize to your brother, son."

"Sorry, Virg." The incident was dismissed with no further ado, and soon they arrived at the Foods Of The World court.

At least twenty booths surrounded a central eating area. Because it was already after three o'clock, most of the lunch rush was over, and Jeff quickly found an empty picnic table. One of the many fair attendants came over to sweep away the remnants of a previous occupant's lunch and the family settled down at the table. Jeff stood at one end and laid down the law. "All right, boys. Scott you buddy up with Gordon. Virgil, you're with John. Alan, you'll be with me. You boys can get whatever you want, but I want you to keep in mind, if you eat healthy now, you won't be sick later. Scott, off you go. Alan and I will wait until you get back."

Scott, Gordon, Virgil and John wasted no time in quitting the table. Alan sat patiently looking around at all the different choices, trying to decide. "Mom, what can I get you and Tina?"

"Whatever. I'll leave that up to you, but I would like some of that lemonade. It's getting warm out here."

"Alan, you wait here and keep your grandma and Aunt Tina company while I get them something to drink. Tina, is lemonade okay, or would you like something else?

"Thank you, Jeff. Lemonade would be lovely."

Jeff strode over to the Lemonade stand, ordering three large cups. He returned to the table in just a few moments and set out the drinks. Ruth thanked him then said, "Jeff, you go on and let Alan get his lunch. He's been as good as gold, and it just isn't fair for him to have to wait. Tina and I will hold the table."

Alan looked up hopefully. Jeff smiled wryly, shaking his head. "All right, we'll go. Just turn off the puppy dog eyes, son. You're blinding me."

Alan wasted no time running over to the first booth in line. Frowning at the hard words on the sign, he turned to Jeff, and pointed at the sign. "Daddy, I don't know those words."

"Well, it's all Greek to me." Jeff quipped, then realized his son was too young to get the joke. "Gyros are a kind of sandwich. This is Greek food, son."

"Oh." Alan wrinkled his nose and started past the booth. Jeff knew from experience that his boys would only try new food under duress, so he let his son walk on without comment.

At the next booth, Alan came to a full stop. Before Jeff could tell him to just move on, the youngster piped up. "Daddy, are cream puffs healthy?"

Jeff crossed his arms and looked down at the boy. "Are you seriously asking me that question?"

"But it says milk, Daddy. Milk is healthy, right?"

Jeff studied the sign. Sure enough, in an apparent attempt to make the gooey desserts sound more wholesome, the placard touted all natural ingredients including milk. In smaller print it read pure cane sugar. "Yes, Alan, milk is very healthy, but not when you load it up with sugar. That's a dessert, son. We're here to get lunch, not desserts."

Alan heaved a tragic sigh and moved on, but not without eyeing an older kid carrying one of the cream puffs with unfettered envy. He didn't look up as he muttered, "That kid doesn't have to be 'healthy'." He made healthy sound like a dirty word.

"Yes, well, he's not my kid, you are, so just buck up and let's find something we can agree on, okay?" Jeff tried to keep the irritation out of his voice, but was not entirely successful.

Alan noticed and grew quiet at his side. Jeff sighed. He wanted this day to be stress free and happy. He considered giving in but then his nose caught a whiff of something. He lifted his head and took another sniff. "Whoa! Do you smell that?"

Alan looked up and then made a production of sniffing the air. After a moment, his eyes lit up. "Barbecue! Daddy, they have barbecue!"

"It sure smells like it. Let's see if we can follow our noses and find it." There was nothing in this world that Jeff liked better than good barbecued ribs. His boys all felt the same way. The woodsmoke tang drew them both like bees to flowers. When they found the large stand, Jeff was dismayed at the line. There were at least fifty people in a long line snaking around the side of the stand and down the promenade beyond.

Disappointed, Jeff looked down to tell Alan that the wait was too long, when cries of 'Daddy, Daddy!' brought his head up. Gordon came running up. "Daddy, we're almost to the front. Scotty says to tell you he'll take your order. C'mon."

Gordon grabbed his father's hand and started dragging him toward the front of the long line, where he now spotted Scott fourth in line. Alan spotted Scott at the same time and burst into a run to get to his brother. "Scotty! Scotty, we're gonna get barbecue too!"

"Well I should hope so, Al. They've got it all, too. They have beef ribs and pork and chicken and sausage and beans and coleslaw and everything."

Alan's little face fell. Then Scott added as an afterthought. "Oh, and baby back ribs too."

"Yaaaaayyyy! That's what I want, Scotty! I want baby back ribs!"

"Me too! Me too, Scotty! Baby back ribs! That's what I want!" Gordon took up the chant.

"I know, Gords, you told me a thousand billion times already." Scott said with mock exasperation.

Jeff had been studying the menu as they moved up. "All right son, I think we'll take a couple of barbecue samplers for your grandma and Mrs. Fought, and I'll have a double order of the baby back ribs."

Jeff pulled out his wallet, but Scott stopped him with a gesture. "Dad, I think Gordy and I can cover it."

Jeff shook his head, 'Scott, you boys won that money fair and square. I'll pay my own way, but thank you for the thought."

Jeff looked down at a tug on his shirt. Gordon looked up at him. "Daddy, can I please buy Grandma lunch? I wanna buy Grandma lunch."

"I get to buy Aunt Tina! If Gordy gets to buy one so do I."

Scott smiled. "See? You're money's no good here, Dad."

"And I worry about them bullying YOU. All right. This is what we're going to do. Scott, you and Gordon handle the food, and Alan and I will get the drinks. We'll settle up at the tables. Oh, have you seen your brothers?"

"Yeah, I saw them in line for Chinese food."

"All right, get another order of baby back ribs and one of chicken. If there's too much we can take it back to the hotel for later."

"Okay, Dad. See you at the tables."

"Come on, son, we have some lemonade to buy."

Jeff grabbed his giggling son and boosted him up onto his shoulders. "Oh, you are getting so big!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna be taller than Scotty some day."

"That tall? I don't know son, you might get nosebleeds so high up in the air."

Alan burst into childish laughter and Jeff grinned as they made their way to the Lemonade booth. Dropping Alan down to the ground, he ordered three more cups of the summery drink. Handing one to Alan with a warning to carry it with both hands, he picked up the other two and turned to the tables.

Even before he spotted them, he knew there was trouble. Once again he heard his middle boy's treble voice, this time raised in a wail. Alan was walking slowly clasping the overlarge cup with both hands, sucking on the straw. Jeff walked just behind his young son with his eyes on he scene at the table.

John was leaning against his grandma, sobbing his heart out. Virgil was nowhere to be seen. His mother looked almost as distressed as John as she comforted her young grandson. As Jeff and Alan wove their way between the tables, Virgil appeared with two uniformed policemen in tow. Jeff arrived in time to hear one of the officers ask, "So you had your wallet stolen? Are you sure you didn't just lose it?"

The man's tone held no accusation, but Virgil bristled. "I told you, it was stolen! He had it tied to his belt loop with a cord." Reaching down to his brother's waist, he held up the end of a piece of twine. "It's been cut, see?"

"Okay, okay, don't get upset, I was just asking. Now, young fellow, what's your name?"

"His name is John Tracy. I'm his father."

Upon seeing his dad, John tore himself away from his grandmother and flung himself into his father's arms. "It's all right, son. It's okay. It's only money and we can replace that."

At seeing the distress in his older brother, young Alan started to whimper. Tina pulled him over and murmured to him, calming him down. Jeff held his distraught son, rocking him back and forth. "Virgil, see if you can answer these officers' questions, will you?"

Frowning his own distress, Virgil replied, "Yeah, Dad."

Jeff hated to see any of his boys cry. As he rubbed Johnny's back shushing him, he listened with half an ear to Virgil's description of the discovery of the theft. John had his wallet at the Ejection Seat ride, but when he reached for it to pay for his lunch it was simply gone. Jeff realized there was little that could be done other than taking the report.

The two policemen were sympathetic. They told John that it might be turned in, you never could tell. After a few minutes, the police were called away for some other emergency and finally John started to settle down. Both Virgil and Alan offered him some of there own money.

The tears had no sooner dried up that Scott and Gordon appeared laden down with Styrofoam boxes. Gordon announced loudly, "Grandma, I bought you barbecue!"

Johnny, realizing he had no lunch burst into tears again. That brought Scott at the run. "What's the matter? Johnny? What's wrong?"

Johnny started telling the tale, sobbing, and Virgil entered in, telling his older brother about the police report. John ended the report with a wail, "And I didn't get any lunch!"

Scott patted his brother on the back. "Hey, knock off the waterworks, kiddo. It just so happens I have a spare rib you can have. Get it? A spare rib?"

Gordon and Alan both burst into giggles, but John frowned, not getting the joke.

Scott smiled at him, "Johnny, we have… Barbecue!" With a flourish, Scott opened one of the Styrofoam boxes, and the heavenly aroma of wood-smoked meat wafted upward.

To the cheers of the youngsters, Scott passed around the boxes of food. Gordon opened his and found chicken instead of ribs, and pushed it away with distaste. "Virgil, I got yours instead of mine."

Virgil, who had just opened his own box to find ribs, gladly traded with his younger brother. Soon the entire family had fallen silent, digging into the succulent meat. Jeff looked up from his own lunch at his family and hoped he didn't look as bad as his youngest sons. At the best of times, they were messy kids, but presented with barbecue, they really went to town. Jeff shook his head, wondering how on earth Alan had gotten the sauce into his hair. Gordon was little better and despite the paper napkin tucked in at the neck, his blue tee shirt was covered with the tangy red brown sauce.

John had always been a tidy child, but even he had grease all over his mouth and fingers as he tried to eat his sorrows away. Virgil was at that stage where he wanted to be clean more than anything else in the world, so he was behind the others, constantly stopping to wipe his hands on the pile of napkins Scott had thoughtfully provided. Scott was deeply into his food. That his face and hands were clean was due more to the fact that he didn't want to miss a single molecule of the tasty meal.

Alan and Gordon pushed back the boxes first, leaving half of their ribs uneaten. Scott automatically pulled the boxes over and pushed one on to his father. He reached into the box and pulled out Gordon's untouched cup of coleslaw and handed it over to Virgil who accepted it willingly. Jeff hoped his sons would never outgrow this willingness to share and share alike.

Looking back at his babies he saw them sitting facing the midway, sucking on their lemonades, no doubt plotting their next move. Well, there was no time like the present to drop his bomb. "Mom, once Tina has picked up her ribbon, the boys and I are going to head back to the hotel."

For the moment, Jeff ignored the stormy faces and cries of indignation. "It's getting too hot out here, so we're going to go take a dip in the pool. Then we'll be back once things cool off in the evening."

Ruth nodded. "All right, son, Tina and I have a few things we want to see, then we'll be along."

"Jeff, I don't think you have to wait. There's a garlic dill pickle that's sure to take the grand prize. I'd just as soon not have anybody around when I lose."

"Hey! What happened to 'no doubt, no fear', Mrs. Fought? You make the best pickles I've ever tasted!"

Tina smiled, "Thank you, Virgil, but just the same, I'd rather you all weren't there for the judging."

Tina's comments distracted the boys from Jeff's announcement, but as soon as it was time to leave, Alan started in. "Daddy, I don't want to go for a swim. I wanna ride that slingshot thing again."

For once, Gordon didn't join in with his brother. Indecision had screwed his little face into an intense frown as he tried to decide which he wanted more. Johnny, with no money of his own, was apathetic, and simply started gathering up the trash from the table. Scott and Virg were whispering furiously.

Jeff decided to take the lead. As he stood up, his mother told him, "Jeff, don't you let those boys into that pool until they've done their business. Lord knows, none of the other guests need to be swimming in lemonade pee."

Jeff rolled his eyes as Scott and Virgil suddenly sniggered. "Yes, Mother. Boys, first things first. Let's head over to the commercial building. We need to buy your brother a wallet."

It was a minor reprieve but it put a tentative smile on Johnny's face. The six Tracys headed for the largest building on the site. Two stories of booth after commercial booth, hawking everything from knives to farm equipment. The family started up the middle aisle. It was slow going as first one then another son was distracted by the colorful merchandise. Jeff was relieved when they found what they were looking for just ten booths down the line.

The booth featured 'security wallets' among other items. Jeff examined the ripstop nylon with Velcro closures, but the best feature was the length of chain that attached to both the wallet, and a belt loop. A man hurried over to explain that the chain could be customized to the customer's needs. He also displayed a tray of locks that insured that as long as the chain was locked, the wallet would go nowhere.

Jeff asked John what he thought and the youngster immediately agreed it was a good wallet. The proprietor pulled out a tape measure and measured the length of Johnny's extended arm. Using a big impressive looking machine, he cut the correct length and quickly bolted the chain to the dark blue wallet John had picked out. Selecting a shiny lock, John hooked himself up and slid the wallet into his back pocket.

Jeff was pleased with the result. His middle boy was forever leaving things behind, and if it hadn't been for the cut cord, he would have believed John had simply misplaced his wallet. The lock and chain should at least keep the wallet safe. Although as soon as he had that thought, another one raced through his mind of the eleven-year-old forgetting his pants somewhere.

Jeff looked around for his other sons, but they were nowhere to be seen. Frowning, he tried to take John's hand, but the boy indignantly pulled away saying he wasn't some little kid. Before he could respond, he heard Scott calling to him. "Dad, we're over here!"

Jeff looked up to see his sons heading his way, each carrying a plastic bag, each with a big grin on his face. Experience raised his parental radar. They were up to something. "What have you got there, boys?"

Young Gordon piped up, "It's a surprise, Daddy! Wait 'til you see!"

Virgil casually slipped behind his red-haired brother, and just as casually put his hand over his mouth effectively gagging him. "And it's going to remain that way, isn't it, squirt?"

Gordon pulled his brother's hand away from his mouth and said resentfully, "I wasn't gonna tell him."

Scott broke the two apart, saying casually, "Good, Gordy. Now come on, you guys, the swimming pool awaits."

Jeff had to admire the subtlety of Scott's move. He had in one fell swoop disarmed a possible fight, and taken the attention away from the colorful plastic bags that each of the boys held tightly closed. Jeff decided not to press the issue. He knew if it came to it, he could easily get the truth out of Gordon or Alan.

With Scott in the lead, and Jeff bringing up the rear, the family finally made it to the main exit. After having their hands stamped so they could return later, the six Tracys made their way to the shuttle stop. Jeff glanced over the names of the several hotels in the area before pushing the button next to the Hutchinson Plaza. This summoned the hotel's shuttle bus, and Jeff stood at the curb watching for the bus as his sons gathered around to show John whatever it was in the bags.

When the bus arrived some minutes later, Jeff noticed that John was sharing the same grin as his brothers. Jeff sighed. The last time all five of his boys had agreed on a gift, his mother had been given a gaudy bracelet with each of the boy's birthstones prominently displayed. It was loud, flashy and cheap looking, but his mother treasured it and wore it whenever she went out. Jeff had no doubt that whatever the 'surprise' was, it was going to be annoying, not to his taste, and utterly precious as only a gift from his boys could be.

Once off the bus, Jeff had to admonish the younger boys not to run, which promptly started a fast walking contest. Johnny made it to the elevator first, and pushed the button to summon the car. As soon as the door opened all three youngsters pushed their way in, much to the annoyance of a middle-aged couple trying to exit. Jeff called them sharply to order, and had them apologize for their rude behavior. Mollified, the couple thanked Jeff for caring enough to discipline his sons. Jeff smiled and got on the elevator. The boys were all very quiet.

Reaching their floor, Jeff said sternly, "Follow me, boys." He led the way to his room and as his sons filed in, he stood with crossed arms. The boys, knowing the drill, lined up at attention. It had been awhile since he had had his boys line up, and Jeff was struck with how much his family had grown.

At sixteen, Scott was as tall as his father was. He was lanky but starting to develop some solid muscle. He was also a heartbreaker, with clean-cut features and deep blue eyes. Virgil was almost as tall as his brother was, but very thin, a legacy of the summer's growth spurt. Like Scott, he looked straight ahead, confident and proud. John was a full head shorter than either of his brothers. More of a dreamer, he nonetheless was a sturdy, fearless child. He held his head straight and high, determined to take his punishment like a man.

Then came the two babies, holding themselves stiffly at attention as if to prove they could do it. Sometimes Jeff caught himself thinking of them as a unit, as if they were two sides of the same coin. But that wasn't really the truth. Gordon was a year older than Alan, and that maturity sometimes showed itself as a stubborn streak that put a mule to shame. Most of the time, though, he was content just to be his younger brother's best friend. Alan, the baby of the family, was spoiled by his older brothers. And by his grandmother. And when Jeff was being honest with himself, by his father too. The small towhead was in turns endearing and exasperating.

With his best parade ground glare, Jeff looked over his sons, but when he spoke his voice was mild. "All right, that little incident in the elevator is a freebie. No punishment, but I don't want any repetition. Now, go get your swimsuits on. It's time for a swim."

The boys stood there for a moment, stunned by the reprieve. It lasted only a few moments, then there was a mad scramble as the five Tracys hurried to do their father's bidding. Jeff pulled on his own trunks and unpacked his beach towel. In doing so, he had to set aside his laptop computer. When he went to return it to the suitcase, he found he couldn't put it down.

With a nod of his head, he turned back to where Alan and Gordon were busy blowing up swim rings they had brought. "All right, boys, put on your thongs, and let's get going."

The two youngsters popped up like jack-in-the-boxes, and ran for the door. "Gordon! Alan! Remember, we are in a hotel. You've had your freebie, so let's not have any running or rude behavior."

"Okay, Daddy. We'll be good." Gordon batted his light brown eyes, in time to his brother's innocent pronouncement. Jeff rolled his eyes, and gestured for the boys to proceed him out into the hall. Seeing their brothers already at the elevator, Alan and Gordon made as if to run, but glancing back at their father, they wisely proceeded to walk albeit quickly to catch up.

The two youngsters got there just as the elevator doors opened, and peered ostentatiously into the car before they hopped in when it proved empty. Jeff put his foot in the elevator door, saying "John? Where's your towel? And your thongs?"

John looked down at his feet as if surprised they were unclad. "Uh, I must have left them in the room."

"Scott, give your brother your key. Go on, son. I'll wait here for you." Jeff let the door close on his other sons, confident that Scott would take good care of his brothers. "And don't run, John."

Jeff barely had time to glance at his watch before John was back, towel slung about his neck, rubber thongs on his feet. Jeff pushed the button for the elevator, then threw his arm over his son's skinny shoulders. "Don't worry, son. I'll see to it you have enough money for the rest of the day."

John sighed. "Thanks, Dad. I really tried this time. I tied my wallet up with string and everything."

"I know you did, son. There are people in the world who will steal anything from anybody. I'm just sorry you had to find out about those kind of people." Jeff eyed the eleven-year-old. "Apart from that, how was your day going? Were you having a good time?"

"Yeah. We went on a bunch of neat rides and we saw the space and science exhibit. They had this really neat mock up of the Sagittarius lunar rover. You could actually sit in it and everything." John looked pensively at his father. "It was neat, but it seemed pretty flimsy to me. Was the real one like that, Dad?"

"Well, you have to remember, there is no need for something heavily built, son. Aside from the weight considerations in boosting it free from the earth's gravity well, the gravity on the moon is less, and except for one intersection at Fifth and Tranquillity, there is very little traffic."

Jeff had never needed to dumb down his explanations for his middle boy, especially anything dealing with outer space, and his trips to the moon. John laughed at his joke, then nodded his head, accepting his father's explanation as the simple truth. "Did you see me in that Ejection Seat ride, Dad? I imagined I was lifting off in a rocket. It was awesome."

"Oh yes, I saw you. The next time, try to do it without the screaming. Remember, when you are lifting off on the way to Mars, there are about a billion people listening to your every word. Scream, and you'll scare half of the world, son."

John stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his father with a half smile. After a moment, the boy nodded, and Jeff knew he had filed that thought away for future reference. Jeff smiled and led the way to the swimming pool.

Unlike this morning, the pool had other visitors beside the Tracys. The sunroof that protected the pool from the elements had been opened up, and the middle-aged couple was laying out, catching the afternoon sun. Another family with two toddlers had taken up residence on the steps in the shallow end of the pool, but the deep end was reserved for his boys.

With a whoop, John stripped off his towel and thongs, and running to the pool coping, jumped high, curling himself up in a cannonball to splash down in the middle of his laughing brothers. Jeff sighed, and picked up the carelessly dropped towel. Finding the table where the other boys had dumped their towels, Jeff looked around and seeing no one watching, slipped his laptop under the piled towels. He slipped off his thongs and did a graceful dive into the pool. As soon as he surfaced his ears were assailed by cries, "Look at me! Look at me, Daddy!"

Jeff looked up to see Alan had climbed out of the pool and now stood waving frantically to get his father's attention. Once he saw Jeff's eyes were on him, Alan puffed out his cheeks as he took a deep breath, and he jumped as far out as he could. With a mighty splash he hit the water, and as soon as he surfaced he called out, "Didja see me, Daddy? I jumped in all by myself!"

Grinning happily, Alan paddled toward his father. Jeff was startled by a voice right by his ear. "Aw, I can do better'n that. Daddy, watch how far I can jump!"

Jeff looked over to see Gordon swimming to the ladder to get out of the pool. He was struck by the difference in swimming styles of the two boys. Where Alan splashed toward him in a dog paddle, Gordon stroked overhand in a smooth movement that left little disturbance in the water. Jeff put it down to the difference in age, and reached out to give Alan a hand, which the youngster seized gratefully.

Gordon called from the pool's edge, "Are you watching Daddy? Watch me, Daddy!" The youngster leapt from the coping, pulling his knees up in imitation of his older brother. The cannonball was sufficiently splashy and Alan had to wipe the water from his eyes. Gordon swam the ten feet under the surface, popping up next to his brother and blowing the water out of his nose.

"Boys, I think it's time you both learned to dive properly. Johnny, come on over here and show your brothers how it's done."

Jeff's half formed idea of getting some work done disappeared as he spent the next hour playing with his sons. After teaching the youngest to dive, He boosted John up onto his shoulders and called for a game of joust. Virgil immediately co-opted Alan as Scott boosted Gordon and the six of them started a game that involved as much laughing and splashing as it did pushing. The afternoon slid by in a flash and it seemed next to no time when Jeff's mother appeared at poolside calling them all to order.

Virgil said under his breath, "Uh-oh, busted." Ruth demanded that they all get out of the pool this very minute.

Gordon and Alan typically balked at leaving the water, but Jeff pointed out that if they stayed in, their handstamps might be washed away and then they wouldn't be able to return to the fair. For a moment, it looked to Jeff as if Gordon would press his luck. He stood in the shallow end inspecting his hand with an intense frown. Scott apparently saw the same thing, and swam over and picked his brother up and slung him over his shoulder saying, "Time's up, squirt."

Scott clambered out of the pool and put his brother down to reach for his towel. Gordon went up to his grandma saying, "I don't think that stamp is gonna wash off, Grandma. It's in delectable ink."

Ruth grabbed the proffered hand, and said, "That's 'indelible', sweetheart, and I don't care if it lasts until next year's fair, your fingers look like prunes. It's time, and that's all there is to it. Now, you come along back to the room. I don't want you to catch a chill."

"But Grandma, I wanted to show you how good I can dive. Daddy taught me how."

Jeff bristled at the whine in his son's voice, but Ruth had things well in hand. "You can show me another time. Now, march young man! You too, Alan."

"Can't we stay a little longer? My fingers aren't prunes."

"Alan, you heard your grandmother. Enough, the both of you. We'll swim in the morning before we go home. But only if you boys stop the whining right now."

Both boys wore angry frowns at being denied their fun, but at the promise of another swim in the morning, Gordon sighed and headed for the elevator. Deprived of his brother's support, Alan gave in less gracefully, crossing his arms, and stomping after Gordon, frowning all the way.

Jeff started after them. He didn't want to come down on the youngsters, but Alan in particular had a temper that matched Jeff's own. Still, Jeff was willing to overlook it. Entering the elevator with his sons, he said quietly, "You boys have had your freebie for the day. Two, if you count that cotton candy. Now, I want you both to settle down and relax. I wouldn't want to leave a sulky child behind with the hotel babysitter."

The two youngsters looked at each other with wide eyes, and immediately settled down. They both knew very well that their father did not make idle threats. It was a very quiet trio that arrived at their hotel room. Jeff unlocked his door and ushered the two boys in. "Now, I want you both to hit the shower and then get into some clean clothes."

The boys cast a wary glance at their father, then moved to the small bathroom. Jeff sat down at the desk and set up his computer keeping half an ear on the boys splashing in the bath. He was also listening for the older boys and was a bit miffed that they had not arrived in their room yet. Just as he began to worry there was a knock at the door. He went to open it, and there were his boys, John looking sheepish, Scott and Virgil annoyed. "Dad, somebody left our key in the room. Can we come in through your room?"

Virgil's emphasis on the 'somebody', coupled with the sudden reddening of John's cheeks left no doubt who had forgotten the key. Relieved, Jeff opened the door wide and then stood aside. "You boys be sure to take a shower, get that chlorine off."

The three Tracy boys trooped through, Scott leading the way. "Thanks, Dad. Okay, you heard the man. Johnny, you're first."

As they disappeared through the connecting door, Virgil's irritated voice could be heard. "Scott, I think he should be last. Serve him right if his hair turns green."

Shaking his head, Jeff returned to his computer and started in on his e-mail. He was interrupted some time later when Gordon and Alan finished their shower. Dressed in clean clothes, their damp hair combed, they looked ready for church as his mother would say. Alan said hopefully, "Can we go back to the fair now, Daddy?"

"No, we're going to wait until it cools down a bit. I want you boys to find something quiet to do. Daddy needs to get some work done."

The two boys sat down on the bed, and Jeff turned back to his computer. Within a few minutes, Jeff sensed a stillness. He turned around and found the boys sitting forlornly staring at him. "What?"

"There's nothing to do, Daddy."

"Can we go out and play?"

"No. The whole point is to stay inside where it's cool. Why don't you read? Didn't you bring any books?"

They looked at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads. "No, Daddy."

"Well, how about a game? Did you bring any games?"

"Grandma said not to. She said we'd lose the pieces."

"Okay, then how about some TV?"

"Are there any cartoons on?"

"There's the remote. Why don't you look and see?"

"Okay, Daddy."

Jeff started to turn back to his computer, but didn't even make it all the way around before the fight started.

"He told me."

"Give it here, I'm oldest."

"No! I got it first!"

At the sound of the first cry, Jeff stood up. He turned to find Alan tugging on Gordon's hair as Gordon pushed at him. "All right, that's enough! Alan, you get up on that bed. Gordon you get up on that bed. Take off your shoes. I want you both to lie down and take a nap."

"But Daddy, I'M too old for naps!" Gordon's emphasis made it clear he thought his younger brother was not too old.

"When you act like a four-year-old, you get treated like a four-year-old. Now, I've had it with you two. You will lie there with your eyes closed until I tell you you can get up. You can sleep, or you can think about how big boys are supposed to act. It's up to you, but this is your last warning. Any more fighting, and you are both staying here while your brothers go back to the fair."

The threat caused both boys to start sniffling. Jeff turned his back and sat back down at the computer. Alan apparently felt the need to have the last word and he whispered with venom, "It's all your fault."

"Alan! Not one more peep! I mean it. If I have to turn back around you are going to be two very sorry little boys."

The sniffling continued, but Jeff was determined to ignore it. "Daddy! Gordon won't stop it!"

Jeff closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Gordon!"

"I'm not doing anything!"

"Yes he is! Daddy, he won't stop smiling at me!"

"Gordon, stop smiling at your brother."

"I was just trying to make him happy. You told me to look after my little brother." There was a scornful emphasis on the 'little'.

"I am not little!"

"You're the BABY, baby."

"GORDON! That is enough! No more. If you both don't settle down, and I mean now, instead of going back to the fair, we will be packing and going home." Jeff tried to keep his voice down to a dull roar, but the boys were so exasperating. Both boys looked at him with quivering lower lips, and with a final glare, he turned back to his computer.

After a while, he became engrossed in his work and paid no more attention to the sounds coming from the two beds. One of his engineers had chosen this week to present his plan for an upgrade in the hydraulic system of a new commercial jet that Tracy Enterprises was developing. The plans were fascinating and Jeff quickly became wrapped up in the detailed specs he had received.

His concentration was so complete that he didn't hear the first soft knock on the door connecting his room with that of his older sons. When the second louder knock came, he was startled from his work. Looking up, he called, "Come."

Scott opened the door and popped his head in. "Hey Dad. Johnny brought his Monopoly set. I thought maybe the kids would like to come play."

Jeff looked over at the beds. Gordon was apparently sound asleep, but Alan had pushed himself up on his elbows and was looking apprehensively at his father. "All right. Alan you can go. But don't wake up your brother."

The youngster hopped down from the bed with alacrity, but mindful of what his father had said, crossed the room on tiptoe. As the blond head disappeared into the other room, Scott winked at his father and closed the door. Jeff returned to his work and was quickly immersed. It was some time later that he realized he had to answer nature's call, and he got up to find Gordon sitting on his bed, looking as if he had been awake for some time. The young redhead watch his father with a rather mournful look that disarmed Jeff, but in the interest of maintaining order, he said in a firm voice, "Are you ready to behave?"

"Yes, Daddy. I'll be good."

"All right, then. Your brothers are next door. You may join them. But I don't want to hear about any fighting, do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"You're older than Alan, and I expect you to remember that. It's your responsibility to take care of your brother, not to fight with him."

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

"As you should be. All right, you can go."

Gordon jumped down and ran to the door. "And apologize to your brother." Jeff called after him. The redhead disappeared into the next room, and Jeff headed to the bathroom, his mind already turning back to his work.

Again he became absorbed in the complex details of the new hydraulic system. Time passed, and so complete was his concentration that he didn't even notice when the connecting door opened and his five sons trooped in. He surfaced from his work when all five boys cleared their throats in unison. Bleary-eyed, Jeff turned to find them standing in a line, each sporting a black tee shirt emblazoned with a large red white and blue logo saying "All American Hero." Beneath the banner was a picture of Jeff suited in his astronaut gear striding toward the launch pad of a giant Titan rocket. It was taken the day he left for his trip to the moon, and Jeff had always liked the picture.

Apparently the boys had too, because they all stood there proudly, grinning like Cheshire cats. Jeff couldn't help but laugh. Scott grinned wider and nodded to John, who stepped forward and handed his father a bag. Jeff opened it warily to find another black tee shirt, almost identical to the one the boys were wearing. It had the "All American Hero" banner, but no picture. He smiled, "Thank you boys. This was very thoughtful of you."

"Dad, the guys and I had a conference, and we've decided we would go together so you could have some time to enjoy the fair on your own."

Jeff looked at the hopeful faces of his youngest boys. Considering the work he wanted to do, he nodded his head. "That will work out just fine. You boys can go over and I'll stay here and get some work done. John, let me give you some money."

Jeff reached for his wallet, but looked up at a soft touch on his arm. Little Alan stood with a frown on his face. "I'll go with you, Daddy."

"Me too. I'll go with you too, Daddy." Said Gordon, coming to stand by his father.

"What? Don't you want to go with Scott?"

Alan threw his arms around his father's neck and wailed, "I don't want you to stay home, Daddy! I'll be real good! I promise!"

Gordon started sniffling. "Daddy, you can't have fun in this old room. I want you to come with us."

"Yeah, Dad. You work too hard as it is. Can't you just take a day off? We'll all go with you, won't we fellas?" Scott said earnestly.

Virgil and John joined Gordon and Alan in hugging their father. "Yeah, c'mon Dad. It won't be any fun without you."

Jeff pushed his sons back and said skeptically, "Wait a minute here. Two minutes ago you are all ready to desert me. Why the change of heart?"

It was Virgil who answered as if it was obvious, "Because two minutes ago, we thought you'd go with Grandma and Aunt Tina and see all the boring old people exhibits. We didn't mean for you to stay here and work."

Scott reached over and smacked Virgil in the head. Jeff said dryly, "So you don't want me to work, but you're okay with it if I'm just bored?"

Scott sighed, then took control. "All right, you guys go and sit on the bed." He watched with narrowed eyes as his brothers obediently moved away from their father and sat. Scott crossed his arms and turned to his father. "Now, Dad, I know you would rather work than have fun, but just for today, we're putting our foot down. Here are the rules. You are going to come with us. You are going to ride the rides. You are going to play the carnival games. You are not going to eat 'healthy', you are going to eat what you want. And most important of all, you are going to have fun."

Out of curiosity, he asked in a stern voice, "And what if I don't? What if I just stay here?"

"Why then, we will all stay here with you. We will be miserable. And tomorrow we will go home, and be miserable at all of the fun we missed." Scott said it airily, and Jeff was almost tempted to call the bluff, just to see what would happen.

But seeing the determination in all five pairs of eyes, he relented saying, "Well, we can't have that, now can we? All right, boys. Let me just go and change into this fine tee shirt and we will be off."

"Yaaaayyyyy!!!!" Gordon and Alan cheered, and their brothers all joined in.

Jeff laughed shaking his head. His boys never ceased to amaze him. He quickly changed his top and again reached for his wallet. "John, come here."

"That's okay, Dad. I have money."

Jeff looked up questioningly. It was Virgil who replied sarcastically, "Yeah, we're a communistic society now."

"What?" Jeff asked bewildered.

"Knock it off, Virg." Scott said calmly. "Dad, we pooled all the money we had left and divided it evenly. Johnny is covered."

Jeff looked at his sons in surprise. With the exception of Virgil, all of his boys seemed quite content with the arrangement. After a moment, he shook his head and smiled. "Do you boys have any idea how proud I am of you all?"

With a cheeky grin, Gordon spread his arms wide and said, "This proud!"

Jeff laughed. "Even prouder than that! Well, let's go, we don't want them to run out of fried food, now do we!" With that, he led his happy family out the door.

When they reached his mother's door, John rapped hard and called, "Grandma, come on, it worked!"

Jeff stopped dead. Looking at his grinning sons he shook his head in amused disgust. "I've been had."

Scott laughed, "Well, whatever it takes, Dad!"

The door to his mother's room opened, and his mother and Tina Fought stood there, each wearing a tee shirt identical to the ones the boys wore. Jeff couldn't help but laugh. "All right. Let's get this show on the road."

And laughing and chattering, the Tracy family made their way to the Kansas State Fair, and if Jeff had qualms about half of the games, and all of the rides that his sons clamored for, he kept quiet and just went along. His mother said nothing about the cream puffs and fried Indian bread and rock candy and deep fried twinkles and a slew of other forbidden foods. And when the fireworks lit up the sky, and Virgil orchestrated his brothers' ohs and ahs, Jeff and his mother and Aunt Tina joined right in. And Alan and Gordon's fussing was soon forgotten, and whenever the family talked of good times their trip to the fair headed the list.