Chapter 12

The next three weeks were just a blur for me. We left home and arrived in Florida on Friday evening. Saturday morning we went shopping for clothes for all of us, but especially for me. We'd only brought about five changes of clothes.

In the three weeks we were gone, I grew six inches in height: to six feet, one inch. I also seemed to have gained almost fifty pounds, as well, and it was mainly muscle. The resort had a work-out room, and I worked out with the machines early in the morning, and late each night, for an hour each time. I swam at night with my family, in the pool, after enjoying our daily outings of entertainment.

I could not understand the young girls and women that ogled me each day, or the looks I got from the women (and even a few men) when we went out.

Friday, July 1^st, 2011

We went to an Italian cuisine restaurant near the resort, for our last night in Florida. The waiter asked if I cared for a something from the bar, and opined that our daughters were very cute and well mannered.

I looked at him and said, "Nothing from the bar for me, thank you. However, my wife would like a glass or two of your 2006 Benzinger Sauvignon Blanc with her Branzino (sea bass), tonight. My daughters will have the lasagna with meat sauce, with sparkling lemonade. For myself, I will have a chilled San Pellegrino (carbonated water from Italy) with my Parmesan Crusted Bistecca (steak); cooked medium, I think, for this evening. I believe that will be all, for now."

"Of course, Sir. I'll be right back with your drinks and salads."

"Take your time, my good man. We are not in a hurry, tonight. We are eating at our leisure."

"Of course, Sir."

Once the waiter was gone, Bea gave me a look that asked 'what is going on?' while Helen had her mouth open, and Brie was giggling.

Bea started it, saying, "Mom, that guy thought Ben was our father! And, Ben, what did you say to him?"

"Bea, my sweet child, he mistook me to be the head of this family, so I went along with it. I know you and Brie like lasagna with meat sauce. Your mother wanted fish with some wine, tonight. Myself, I wanted a steak. So, I ordered for us. I looked at the wine menu and saw the white wine your mother would like, so I ordered it, too. What's the problem?"

Bea whispered, "But, Bennie, you're only just fifteen! You can't order drinks like that, can you?"

"And why not? Our father taught me everything I know about wines and alcoholic drinks, so why not put that knowledge to good use. I'm not drinking any of it, so what's the harm?"

"Mom?" whined Bea.

"Belinda, what am I supposed to say? He did it perfectly. Look at Benjamin. Does he not look like the man of this family? Has he not taken that role in this family? You, yourself, have said on several occasions that he is like a father to you. So what is the difference? None, what so ever. Now behave yourself, and act like the proper young lady that you are."

"Yes, Mother. I'm sorry for doubting you, Ben. Please accept my apology?"

"Of course I will accept your apology, Belinda. As I have said before, it is what a family does: we love each other, no matter what. Right?"

At that moment the waiter was back with our drinks and salads, on a tray. He served Mom her wine, first, then gave Bea and Brie their lemonade. Lastly, he placed a large chilled glass and an opened bottle of San Pellegrino in front of me. He asked if we would like parmesan cheese on our salads.

Brie immediately said, "Yes, please."

The waiter looked to me and I nodded and said, "Yes, all around, thank you."

He grated the cheese on all four salads, and handed them out. He left a cruet of Italian dressing on the table. There was even a glass stopper in the cruet, to keep the flavor in. The dressing was thicker than I would have thought usual for an Italian dressing, but not as thick as a creamy one. It was sort of an in-between mixture. It was very good, though. It complimented the salad very well, with its olive oil and spices.

We were barely finished with our salads, and some good conversation, when he was back. He picked up the salad plates, and then was back refilling our glasses. A couple of minutes later he was back again with more hot, soft, bread sticks. Another person came with a large tray. Our waiter distributed our dinners, and asked if anyone also wanted more cheese. The girls, of course, did. However, Mother and I declined.

The meal was excellent, and the waiter was attentive and there when we needed him. Otherwise, we hardly saw him at all. When we had all finished our meals, he was back with a tray of deserts. The ladies declined, however, with my growing appetite, I ordered the Triple Chocolate Strata, and an order of Zeppole. I thought the girls might like to try it. I was right. All three tried the Zeppole, and loved it.

[Zeppole is a soft, traditional Italian doughnut, dusted with powdered sugar and served with chocolate sauce for dipping. The Olive Garden restaurant chain serves it. They call it 'Zeppoli', but the proper name is Zeppole – BR.]

The check came to me. I pulled out my debit card, and put it with the check. It was whisked away and returned, very quickly. I added a twenty percent tip to the bill, signed it, and pocketed my card.

We walked back to our suite, taking the scenic route along the man made lagoon and pool. We went upstairs to our suite, and sat in the lounge as Mom started talking.

"Belinda, Britney, I have something to say, now. Please understand that this is a family matter, and no one needs to know about this, but ourselves. I think it is time you know what is going on. I think that you know that Ben is becoming much more than just a brother to you two. He has also become much more than just a son, to me. You both have commented that Ben is like a father to you as well as your big brother. Well, he has taken the role of your father in my life, too. I'm not sure how to say this, but Ben is the man of this family, now. I love him with all my heart."

Bea thought of it first and said, "But that means that you and Ben are doing it. Right? But that's incest! That's not right. It's nasty, and not even legal. It's against the Bible. You guys are going to hell for this. Oh My God! That's ... ewwww. Ben's making you do that, because he can make you do stuff you don't want to do. Right?"

"Bea, it's not quite like that. I love Ben, and he loves me. We become one person when we together. It is like he was meant to be with me. I can't really describe it. It must be felt to know what it is like."

"So, are we next for him to have his filthy ways with? Are we next on your list of victims, Mister Benjamin Martin Hamner?"

"Belinda Marie Hamner, I could strike you dead this moment, if I wanted! I don't, for two major reasons.

"One, I am not like that. Since I have had the ring, your mother and I have become closer to each other than she and our father ever were. We each love the other so deep and so hard that it is difficult to explain. Take what you feel for Billy Hansen and make it a hundred times stronger ... no, more like a million times stronger. That is how I feel about our mother. I would gladly give up my life for her! That, is how strong this connection is.

"Secondly, I love you, sister of mine! I love you as much as I love our mother, but in a different way. I don't want to have sex with you, I want to protect you. I want for you to grow up to be a woman like our Mom. She is a woman who is strong, beautiful, and smart. She is someone that all men want to have, but they know that only someone very special can ever hope have. I want that for each of you Bea ... you, and your sister. Sure, I could make you not tell anyone about this. But I would rather you not tell because you love me, like I love you, and like you love this family.

"You can see what has happened to me in these past three weeks. I have grown taller, bigger, and more muscled. I'm more like a man, than a boy.

"I seem to have gotten smarter, too. I immediately knew what to say tonight, at the restaurant. I never would have been able to do that before, now would I? No, I would not. I knew the right things to say, and the right things to do, so that I would be treated as the man of this family. The waiter naturally assumed I was the head of the family. Yes, I look a little young. But that is not a hindrance, especially when I act like I did tonight. He never even thought that I was anything except your father, and Mom's husband."

Mom took over, then, and said, "Bea, I want to ask you a serious question. What if you found out that your cousin Murray Phillips was the very one man for you? What if he was the man that made your heart do flip flops; the one man who made your heart melt, and your body sing, if he held you in his arms?

"Just imagine that you have known ... say, fifty men in your life. Not that you were intimate with them, but you were close to them ... like, going out on dates, and so on. Perhaps even that a few of those men did make you feel all lovey and soft inside, when you were around them.

"Then, somehow, you meet Murray. Suddenly, you know deep inside yourself, that here is the man you have been dreaming of all your life. Here is the man that would be your soul mate, the one you just can't live without, now that you know he exists. Would you throw him away just because he is your cousin, or would you do anything to be with him for the rest of your life?

"Well, Bea, what is your decision? Do you go to him, or do you throw him away, knowing that you will never be as happy as you could be with him?"

"Mom, I don't even know this guy, Murray. Does he really exist?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, he does. He is about fifteen or sixteen by now. He is my Aunt Barbara's grandson. They live in Kansas City. But think about what I asked you and then answer honestly, please?"

While Bea was thinking this through, Brie came to me. She crawled into my lap, and held on to me. I held her close, and soothed her fears. Brie pulled my head down to hers.

She whispered into my ear, "Bennie, do you want me to call you daddy, now? I would, but I think it would be awkward, at home. Can I just call you 'Bennie', like I used to?"

I whispered back, "Of course, Sweetheart, you can call me anything you like. I'm still the same old Bennie. I'm just a little better looking."