[[[-IF4-P12.TXT-]]] ---------------- Island Fever 4: Paradise Written by: JeremyDCP@hotmail.com M/F, F/F and a whole lot more ---------------- Chapter 12: "Tetrad" ------------------------------------------- -*- Monday, June 8, 2015 -*- -*- Sandvika, Norway -*- Our private jetliner departed Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru this past Saturday at 10:13am and landed for a routine maintenance check nearly some six hours later in Miami, Florida. From there we flew to Washington, DC with another quick lay-over, and then took off across the mighty Atlantic Ocean to Reykjavík-Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavik, Iceland. With the final re-fueling out of the way, our family was finally able to return home and arrived safe and sound at Gardermoen Airport in Oslo, Norway at 1:47pm on Sunday afternoon. With 7,100 miles and 17 hours of total airtime under our belts (keep in mind there was a six hour time difference between Lima and Oslo), nearly everyone was exhausted once we returned to the mansion in our hometown of Sandvika. Kristanna went to visit her parents on the other side of our huge, sprawling farm in their own private home, but the rest of us literally had to drag ourselves to bed. Kaden and Piper did not have near as good of a trip as they did last time, unfortunately. Both became very irritable and cranky during the flight from Washington, DC to Reykjavik, and then the negative emotions and feelings carried over until we reached Oslo. Once we got into our minivan, however, Kaden and Piper settled down and eventually drifted off to sleep. They were still upset, but too tired to act it out. I put Kaden down in his crib while Pamela did the same for Piper. With both of them still napping, Pamela and I joined the others in bed. I must have went out quick, because I do not remember laying there for long before things went dark. I was temporarily roused an hour later, though, as Kristanna returned home from visiting her parents and climbed into bed amongst the mishmash of bodies, wanting to cuddle with me. A short time later, though, I was out like a light yet again. So was everyone else. I awoke four hours later to the sound of Kaden crying and throwing a temper tantrum over the remote baby monitor. I turned it off immediately, not wanting him to wake any of the ladies who all seemed to still be sleeping around me. When I went to the baby room to check on him, apparently his screams had awakened Piper, because she was upset and crying now too. It took some doing on my part, but as I tended to both infants, I was able to get them to eventually simmer and calm down. They were fussy and hungry (never a good combination) and still somewhat frazzled from the long airline trip. Piper was better, as I said, but still in somewhat of a foul mood. That seemed to fade away completely once Lindsay showed up and began rocking her in her arms. Piper became docile and smiled up at Lindsay (who definitely had the magic touch with both of the babies) before falling back asleep. I put a tired and groggy Kaden down in the crib beside Piper. Lindsay and I stayed there until he too, dozed off. I was still worn out and exhausted from the overly long and grueling series of flights. When Devon woke up next and found Lindsay and I together, I decided to order Chinese food and have it delivered to the mansion. That way, as each of the remaining ladies got out of bed, there would be a hot, delicious meal waiting for them. Food did me no good on this particular day, though. I still felt quite sluggish. By midnight, everyone had a full stomach but had since returned to bed. We all had plans of sleeping well tonight. * * * Considering how she was always chocked full of energy and possessed an inner drive to be active that was second to none, it really should not have come as all that much of a surprise to me that the morning after we returned home from vacation, Trish was the only one from our little group who wanted to go out into the world and actually do things. She was up bright and early, and insisted that I go with her as well - alone (just the two of us) - for a romantic, little lunch date, followed by an afternoon of reacquainting ourselves with the sights of Norway and its unique culture. Although still tired and sore from all those airline miles, there was no way that I could possibly deny Trish. If I turned Trish down today - even if I felt horribly sick and it was more than justified - but went out with Devon tomorrow or the next day, what message would that send? What would the others think? Thus, I made it a habit never to turn any of the ladies away when they wanted to go out someplace with me, whether it be for an entire day or a five minute trip to the corner market down the street. It was just one of the many, countless, little things that I practiced and believed in as a way to combat any feelings of jealousy and/or favoritism. Our goal as a family, of course, was to squash any negative emotions before they even had a chance to develop. Being the only man amongst seven women in our relationship, I did my absolute best to make all of them feel as if they were individually special and unique to me. After all, that was the reality - they truly were. But in order to express that and get my point across to all seven, it was quite a daunting task - at some times much more than other times. There were many instances where I felt as if I was running behind and doing a terrible job. Fortunately, all seven of them seemed to understand and realize the situation that I was in. As a result, the group as a whole tended not to be all that needy or greedy toward me. They knew that if I was preoccupied with someone else on a certain day, their time would eventually come - whether it be that evening, the next day or perhaps later in the week. Also, with a total of eight adults in the relationship (not to mention two adorable babies), there was always someone for everyone. No one was ever forced to be alone. Do not get me wrong here. Despite being tired, I actually wanted to go and have a nice day out with Trish. I did not get to have all that much one-on-one time with her during our recent vacation on the island. She had been so disheveled, feeling down and depressed over the tragic loss of her father, that I found it difficult to sit down and really connect with Trish the past few weeks. When I tried, it seemed as if I could never get through to her or make any head-way. By default, Trish spent most of her vacation time with Lindsay. That was understandable, I suppose. Best of all, Trish seemed to be in really good spirits not only this morning, but the past couple of days as well. Trish was energetic and had that special smile upon her face when she asked me if I wanted to spend this lazy Monday out alone with her. Her good mood dated back to Thursday, in fact. She was her usual, cheerful self during our beach party on Friday. Trish's father died on May 21 (today was June 8). I was hopeful that Trish had finally turned the corner, so to speak, and was getting back to her normal self. Before Trish and I left the mansion on this sleepy Monday morning, however, we were reminded that indeed, our homeland was vastly different than the island paradise we had just spent nine glorious days vacationing on. Instead of lush beaches and tropical sunshine, Sandvika was dark and gloomy with the threat of possible storms. Wind whipped throughout the farm and made several of the animals quite restless. That was not going to deter Trish and yours truly in the slightest from having a good time out and about, though. Even bundled in two layers of clothing and a thick, neon windbreaker, Trish looked vibrant and beautiful as we made our way downtown. I allowed Trish to pick where we should have our lunch, and she chose _Vaertshuset Baerums Verk_. Touted as the oldest restaurant in the entire country, Vaertshuset Baerums Verk seemed like a time capsule in and of itself. A small wooden house with old, traditional furniture, it was a truly sensational restaurant with fine food and top-notch customer service. It featured tiny, little rooms for two if desired for the utmost in dining privacy. It had a very authentic 1800's era atmosphere. There were so many wonderful selections to choose from on the menu, but I ultimately decided on _Bacalao_ - a Norwegian seafood dish consisting of shredded cod mixed with chopped parsley, diced onions, tomatoes, olives, oregano, garlic cloves and jalapeno peppers, sauteed with vinegar. It was outstanding! I also opted for sweet and sour red cabbage on the side, along with _Julekake_(Christmas cake bread). Trish was a seafood lover as well, so I was thrown for somewhat of a loop when she ordered _FårikåL_ from the menu. A scrumptious casserole, FårikåL (yes, that L at the end is supposed to be capitalized), was chunky pieces of hearty lamb cooked with flour, green cabbages and whole black peppers. She also enjoyed a side of _Lefse_, which was a Norwegian version of potato bread. Even as a light rain began to fall in the middle of our meal, I noticed that Trish was more lively and spirited today than normal. There seemed to be a certain exotic, healthy glow about her that was much more prevalent than even on her best days. I did not bring it up during conversation, though, not wanting to jinx things! Had Trish climbed out of the depths of despair once and for all? God, I sure hope so. Our next stop was _Aker Brygge_ - an area in downtown Oslo itself - that was a popular location for shopping, dining and all sorts of entertainment. It was widely viewed as Norway's biggest attraction and tourist destination spot. Once a booming shipyard dating back to the 19th century, Aker Brygge underwent a massive reconstruction beginning in 1982 and finally concluding in 1998. Today it is a vibrant waterfront market with several shopping areas and businesses, a cinema, high-priced apartments and a small ferry harbor. It is also home to fantastic art and architecture surrounding the naked eye in the central part of Oslo. Walking around Aker Brygge with Trish was really enjoyable for me. The rain had let up and the sun was actually trying to peek through the clouds. Trish and I held hands, and she munched on cotton candy as we made our way amongst the masses of people. At one point we sat down on a park bench and simply watched the sailboats gliding through the Norwegian Sea. Trish propped her head upon my shoulder and we must have shared dozens of gentle, light kisses, oblivious to the passersby. There were several statues and different types of art all throughout Aker Brygge. One was of a man walking on stilts in the ocean itself. There was another statue of a polar bear in one section of the pier, while down the way there were many other statues of nude ladies in various different poses. Several men kept getting their photograph taken by these specific statues, which was interesting. But what amused me was the places where they chose to position their hands. Feeling quite playful, Trish joined in - she had me snap a photograph of her next to a statue wearing a red hat, with her arm coiled around its side and a hand on its breast. She received her fair share of looks for it, too! I asked Trish where she wanted to go next for our day of fun, and her immediate response was _Akershus Festning_ (which translates to _Akershus Fortress_ in English). A medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo in the year 1299, Akershus Festning survived several assaults and sieges throughout earlier centuries and today serves as a military area and a place for official events and dinners for dignitaries and foreign heads of state. Still, it was open to the public on a near daily basis. Imposing, enormous and looking over Oslo Fjord, Akershus Festning was a masterpiece which offered a history lesson and an example of what humans were capable of doing with hard work and dedication. Many of the buildings on the grounds dated back some 600 or more years and had not been altered or reconstructed from their original form. The castle itself was stunning and the views over the adjacent harbor were breathtaking. There was a definite sense of history as one walked around the old, thick stonewalls, the inner courtyards and the watch towers. Perhaps the only somber moment of our sightseeing tour throughout the wondrous castle was a section of it known as _Slaveriet_ (The Slavery), which housed various prisoners and war criminals dating back to the late 18th century. The jail also served as a Nazi stronghold during World War II. Because of the prison and its gruesome history, Akershus Festning actually ranks as one of the most haunted places in all the world. Several ghost sightings have been reported throughout the years. But perhaps the most popular tale is that of the demon dog named Malcanisen. Legend has it that he guards the gates to the castle. Anyone who is approached by the canine spectral spirit is doomed to a horrible death sometime in the following three months. I am happy to report that neither Trish nor myself saw Malcanisen on this day... The sun was actually out and beaming brightly once Trish and I went to _Slottet_ (the Royal Palace) and took a stroll through the beautiful park that surrounded on it on all sides. It featured grassy areas and flowerbeds as well as old, majestic trees, and was quite a popular place to relax. I found great joy out of watching Trish sniff the flowers, an uplifting and delightful expression coming to her face after almost every single one. By the time it was 4:30pm, I suggested to Trish that she and I return home so we could have dinner with the other ladies at our standard hour of 7:00pm. Trish agreed, but claimed that there was one more place that she wanted to visit before we retired to the mansion for the evening. That would be _Sandvika Storsenter_, a super, regional shopping center that was home to 195 individual stores and boutiques. It was no more than ten minutes from our estate. Trish reminded me (as if I did not know already) that Amy's birthday was a little more than two weeks away; she would be 33. Although Trish already had a lot of gifts for Amy hid away back home, she insisted on purchasing her some more. Thus, Trish explained, there was a list of stores here at the mall that she wanted to hit up and visit. She promised me that we would be home in plenty of time for dinner. Shortly after stepping foot into Sandvika Storsenter, though, Trish spotted one of those picture booths for two that had a drawstring curtain and would snap a series of photographs in exchange for a nominal fee. With an elegant, cover-girl face complimented by rounded cheek bones and a friendly, charming smile, Trish was quite the photogenic sort. She insisted that I step into the little booth with her and sit down, then pose for a series of photographs that we would later take home on long strips and share with the rest of our family. We could make funny faces and be goofy, she said, or just act natural and have fun with it. "Put your arm around me," Trish instructed me with a happy, joyous tint in her voice, as we sat in the booth and faced the camera lens. Our windbreaker jackets on the floor beside us, we had privacy in the booth with its curtain closed, but there was noise and chatter from passerby shoppers all around us. "Can I?" I teased Trish, slipping an arm around her. "Will you?" "Squeeze together," I offered and we huddled close, as I inserted 25 Norwegian Krone (a little more than $3 in USD) into the machine, starting it up. Trish placed the side of her face upon mine and smiled sweetly as the timer in front of us began to count down. "What are we doing?" "I don't know," she said. "Just smile at first, wing it." Offering my best _happy face_, the first photograph in what would be a series of them occurred. After that initial flash, Trish promptly reached into her handbag and pulled out what appeared to be a tiny beanie hat, its color white, and held it up in front of her with both hands. I tried to pay the hat no attention, focusing on the camera and smiling brightly for the second shot. After it, I noticed Trish's brown eyes drift downward toward the hat and she let out a foolish giggle. When Trish pulled away from me, I instinctively held out both arms in an attempt to bring her in closer for the next photograph. "Squeeze together," I insisted. But Trish was now facing me and holding the little beanie hat just inches from my gaze. In bold, cursive letters, there was a single word etched out across the front of the hat - _Baby_. Confused for a brief moment, I stared at the word, but quickly got the idea. When I made eye contact with Trish, she giggled merrily once again and tilted her happy, glowing face to the side, staring right back at me with an expression so full and vibrant, it reminded me of our wedding day. "What?" I choked at her. Unable to control her giggling, Trish vigorously nodded her head at me and nearly began to cry. "For real?" I asked, overcome with emotion myself. "YES!" Trish sobbed, still giggling and nodding her head. My spine tingling with raw, positive vibrations at the realization that I was going to be a father for the fourth time, I bumped noses and foreheads with Trish, and the two of us held that same position for quite some time as we laughed and smiled together in mutual, utter delight. Although Lindsay had clearly been my focal point of late in terms of attempting our next pregnancy, Trish had been an equal priority of mine up until the day her father died. She had not been in many sexual moods since that horrific day, obviously, but I must have did the deed, so to speak, before it. Wait a minute, was this true? Really? After five months of trying, Trish was finally pregnant! I kissed her on the forehead, then she brought a hand to my face and rubbed it. "For real?" "For real!" Trish exclaimed in response, kissing me tenderly. She coiled her arms around my neck and shoulders, squeezing tightly. I brought a hand to both of my very own eyes and dabbed them, trying to hide the tears. First Kaden, then Piper. Dani Grace was on the way. And now... THIS! "Oh, I'm so happy!" I told Trish, now hugging her myself. "How long have you known?" "Thursday!" she snickered. "Are you serious?" Today was Monday. "Yeah!" she beamed. "I took a couple of tests back on the island and they came up positive, but I wanted to be sure and wait a few days. I took another test this morning, then I wanted to come here and do THIS!" She pointed all around the cramped photo booth, then motioned toward her cell phone on the ledge in front of us. Its video lens was pointed right at us as well. Apparently, it had recorded everything. "Everything we did today, Jeremy, was with the aim of getting you in this little photo booth and breaking the news to you!" "NO WONDER you have been in such a better mood lately!" "Yeah!" she exclaimed in response, joyous. "I promised my dad before he died that I would deliver a little grandson or granddaughter for him. I'm not going back on my promise! Oh, I know Dad is so happy and proud of me in Heaven now!" "Have you told anyone else yet?" "I didn't want to, but I felt compelled to tell Lindsay on the flight back home from the island," Trish admitted. "I know that you deserved to find out first, Jeremy, but I could not resist telling Lindsay. Plus, I wanted to be certain before I told you - so more tests. But she is ecstatic! Oh my God, Lindsay was jumping and squealing on the plane. She is so incredibly happy for us!" And no doubt, there would now be even more of a sense of urgency for me to impregnate Lindsay. She and Trish had openly talked (i.e. fantasized) about being pregnant at the same time, and maybe even giving birth to their respective child on the very same day - in the same hospital room! Oh man, I needed to get Lindsay pregnant. And fast. Trish kissed me yet again, adding, "Thank you, Jeremy. Thank you so much! I love you! I love you, love you, love you! You and I are gonna be a Mommy and Daddy together!" She began openly sobbing and concluded, "I've wanted to be a mother my entire life..." "Oh, I love you too, sweetheart..." Full of happiness, I reached down with my right hand and placed it upon Trish's toned, flat abdomen. A little life was growing somewhere inside of there, and the love that Trish and I shared together helped create it! At the same time, she held up the white beanie hat with the word _Baby_ stenciled out across its front and giggled yet again. With only one photograph left in the session - the booth had been getting random shots of us as well these past few minutes - Trish held one end of the hat with her left hand just below our chins, and I held the opposite with my right, and the two of us smiled for the automated camera. It was the perfect closing shot for our little photo opportunity... <<<- End of Chapter 12 ->>> ==---- -- -- -- - --- -- -- - - --- -- -- --- - -- - - - - --- -- ----== "Island Fever 4: Paradise" (c) 2015 JeremyDCP - JeremyDCP@hotmail.com Feedback is always appreciated!