That night I got a chance to talk to Lavagirl and Max, and catch them up on what's been happening. They were all for me telling my dad about me being an actual Sharkboy. Lavagirl saying she would not wait to meet him, Max saying he could not wait to see all the embarrassing baby pictures of me. So I told him, he better shut up, or I was going to make him fish food. When I finally told them about the family reunion, Max gave me a look of sympathy and, said "good luck your going to need it".
But he also gave me some good advice on staying clam. "Try and find someone you don't completely hate, and stick with them". "If you get to annoyed lie, and say you brought homework to do, don't be afraid to stick up for yourself"!
After I talking with lavagirl and Max, dad and I, were one our way to the 'family reunion' site a small beach cabin, just off the coast, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I was just grateful it was a beach side cabin, which means, that the ocean was nearby, and if I needed a quick escape. I could just jump in and turn back into Sharkboy.
As we were driving to the beach cabin, dad filled me in on all that had happened with in the family, since I have been gone. As dad was telling me all there is to know about our family, I didn't even notice, that we had gotten to the, camp site until I heard a scream of,
" HEY ADAMS HERE"! The guy who had screamed, looked like a replica of dad with blond hair, this must be my dad's brother Joey. Dad immediately parked the car, and got out giving his brother a hug, it was obvious that they had missed each other. As I quietly exited the car, hoping that Joey did not make a big deal about seeing me. Of course my dear uncle Joey had to make seeing me a big deal.
" OH MY GOD TAYLOR"! As he was yelling he came up and swopped me up in a hug, actually pulling me off the ground, I didn't know how to react, to I stood rigid in the hug, trying to gently push him away from me. Finally he let me down, only to kneel down, and say
" WOW! Taylor you have grown, you remember me uncle Jo"? The way he said it, like a little boy on Christmas morning. I replied
" It's nice to see you Joey".
" Oh so formal". He said looking at dad, " Oh no have you corrupted him, into be a two-shoes". Joey said with a look of fake horror on his face.
" Oh Taylor's is not a two-shoes, but the bad-boy thing seems to be working for him, kid already has a girlfriend"!
Thanks dad, just tell the whole world. But before Joey could comment, an woman appeared from behind him, she looked to be in her mid-60's, but well kept, she looked like one of those clean cut, grannies you see on a betty Crocker cooking box cover.
" Oh my heavens Taylor it's been so many years". She said as she grabbed me in a gentle hug, that instantly reminded me of my mother. The only person that could ever remind me of my mother, it was my grandmother May.
" Hello grandmother". I said returning the hug. When she finally let go of me, she put both hands on my shoulders, and said
" We'll let me have a look at you". Grandmother May toke my shoulder, and gently turned me around as she looked me over.
" You look so much like your father, but your eyes, completely Mary". I admit it, when she said I had my mother's eyes, I kind of got something in my eyes, cause the king of the ocean definitely does not cry.
" Your right May the boy does have Mary's eyes". I heard another voice say, I turned around to find that there was a man about the same age as Grandmother May, a shorter man with a bit of a belly, with chestnut cheeks, he looked vaguely like Santa clause, this must me Grandfather Tomas. When he finally caught my eye he opened his arms and said
" Well some here boy, and give your old grandpa a hug". So I walked over, and when I was in arms reach Grandfather pulled me into yet another hug, and putted my back, and quietly murmured into my hair, so no one else would here, "You don't know how much we have misses you".
My grandparents, truly missed me, now looking back on it I really had missed them to, like me, I was their connection to mom, dad was right, I did have something in common with these people.
" Oh stop hogging the boy Tomas, I want to hug my grandson". Said a voice from behind me, and then came a woman around the same age as grandmother May, and grandfather Tomas, but unlike them she was not as stiff, but more relaxed, she was the sort of woman you would see hiking Mt. Everest in her 90's. She was my dad's mother Julia.
" Taylor it is so good to see you, oh for the love of you are so thin, I bet your father has been feeding you nothing but seaweed".
One she released me from the hug I managed to put in a cheeky remark of " No he's been feeding me nothing but, seaweed, and raw fish". I heard dad laugh behind me and reply.
" Oh please raw fish is the only things sharks eat". My father's mother just let out a big sigh, and walked, or rather ran, to my father a captured him in a hug , whispering something in his ear, thinking the rest of us could not hear, well the humans could not, but I could. I heard her whisper
" Adam it is so good to have him back, May, and Tomas, have been lost without him, now the family's complete again". My father replied a quiet
" I know" giving me a quick glance knowing I was listening in.
" Did I just hear that Sharkboy was back"! I heard another booming voice behind me.
"Sharkboy, you come here a give your old pappy a squeeze". The booming voice was coming from my father's father, Patrick, but no one called by his full name, much too formal, so we all just called him pappy.
Pappy, quickly captured me in a hug, and squeezed the life out of me. I mean I thought I was strong. The next half hour, was really me just meeting the rest of my extended family, my aunt Lana, a quiet woman, that didn't talk much, but when she did, the words she said were full of fire. She was the complete opposite of Joey, and their kids Rachel, and Michael were the same. Rachel only two months younger than me, but was a seemed to be a kind, sweet person, yet she had this aura around her that made it seem like, she was harboring a secret. Her young brother my little cousin Michael, seemed like a pretty chill kid, but could be because of the weed, honestly the kid reeked of it! Not that his parents noticed, anything wrong with their kids, I mean Joey, and Lana seemed to be nice people, but honesty they should not be raising children. After the 'meet and great'. Everyone went into the separate cabins to unpack. Dad and had a smaller cabin seeing as there were only two of use Once we were inside the cabin dad was quick to question me on how I like the family so far, because he was my dad I told the brut honest truth. " The grandparents I like but, the rest…. Well let's just say I'll be happy to leave when this weekend is over. Dad laughed and agreed that they were a little off, ya a little, but made me promise to behave, and notice ' go to their level'.