The rest of the day went along like a dream. The two were truly happy fitting into their new roles. Gus decided everything. He decided they would take a glass bottom boat ride to Proteus Cay, which lasted for several hours. The boat took them around the cay and back to Buena Perspectiva again. The water, clouds, and landscape were all incredibly beautiful. Both man and boy marveled at the sea turtles that floated right underneath them! Truly majestic and beautiful.
“That was really cool, Dad!” Ray was getting very comfortable calling his adopted son Dad, and he even did it in front of the boat captain! The man didn’t flinch over men acting immaturely or boys acting in a very mature manner.
The two finished up the day at the pool. Gus decided he just wanted to sit in a lounge chair and relax while reading a book that Ray had brought on the history of the Civil War. Rather dense reading for an 8 year old, but he found he could follow the book with no problems, as if his vocabulary had greatly expanded in a short time.
Ray begged his Dad to go play in the pool.
“Yes, you may. But reapply your sunscreen first!”
“Okay, Dad!” Ray obeyed his new Dad while happily slathering himself up.
He found himself in a pool with another man, very good looking, a man with large muscles and Italian looks, with a deep cleft in his chin. He had deep stubble, olive skin and looked to be in his mid 40s.
“Hi, I’m Danny! What’s your name?” The man waved to him, in the manner that small children usually do.
“I’m Ray! I’m going to be a little boy tomorrow! Cause we came here to switch bodies and um, that’s my Dad now because we’re both like…”
“Oh cool! I just got older and my dad got younger but they told me I wouldn’t act adult for a few days. I love bein’ a grownup!”
“Me too! It’s fun! But I can’t wait to go back to bein’ a kid again! That’ll be great! It’s weird bein’ so tall.”
“I love bein’ tall now! My dad got really short, too!”
“How old were you before?”
“I’m 7 years old!” The grown man held up his finger. “Oh wait…now I’m older. I’m 41 now!” He flashed his hands four times and then held up one finger and then laughed.
“Sweetheart? Time to come out of the pool!” Gus yelled at his son. The two grown men were having fun swimming back and forth together and racing each other.
“Awww, can’t I play with my friend some more?” Ray whined. It sounded terribly strange for a grown man to be whining like that, Gus noted. Ray didn’t even seem to notice how childlike he was behaving, splashing around again and laughing.
“No, we need to get going, boy. Out of the pool. Now. You can see your friend again tomorrow.”
“Okay, Daddy!” Ray said reluctantly and swam to the shallow end of the pool and climbed up the steps. He hadn’t forgotten any of his swimming training. Luckily, Gus was an excellent swimmer and had spent a lot of time in the local river that went through his hometown. And the island’s magic helped boost swimming ability just to be on the safe side. Whoever had created the magic spells on this place had done a fastidious job of ensuring safety.
Gus had Ray change again. Ray hated changing clothes now for some reason. He just kept wanting to wear the same stuff but his new Dad told him that they had to dress nicely before going out to dinner, the same way Ray used to do. But whereas Ray had always lavished attention and gifts on Gus, Gus had transformed to be the responsible one of them. Ray was usually concerned with making sure his new son was having fun, but Gus had loved having new clothes the last few months. He was now much more concerned with appearance and making sure he was wearing clothes that didn’t make him appear poor. He wanted to wear suits! He thought of it with heartache. The best he could muster was a dress shirt and light khaki pants, whereas his son had plenty of suits to choose from.
“We’ll need to get you some suits once we swap bodies. It’s good for you to have some formal wear, son! Now, put on a tie.”
“I don’t know how, Dad!”
“I’ll show you, son.”
The boy showed the adult man three times older than him how to tie a tie, and Ray fuddled with it a few times until he was doing it like his Dad was demonstrating for him.
“Hey, how come I forgot? I used ta know how to do all that stuff. I reckon maybe it’s the magic huh Sir?”
“You reckon right, boy. But don’t you worry. Daddy has got this covered. Now. Don’t you look nice? Look at yourself in the mirror, boy!”
“Wow! I look like a grownup!” Ray exclaimed, even though he hadn’t been a child in decades. He was 32 years old, after all, he thought, with some mild confusion. “I’m forgettin how to do adult stuff, huh Dad?”
“Looks like. But that’s alright with me. Now, let’s get some dinner!”
During dinner, Ray kept rubbing his stubble as it were a new toy, like he had never felt stubble on his face before. Gus had another beer, this time a dark ale. It was richer, he thought. Smooth and rich. I like beer. It’s a man’s drink, alright. He allowed his 32 year old son to have some lemonade as a special treat. Ray smiled giddily.
“Thanks, Daddy!”
“You’re welcome, boy. Cheers, son!” The 8 year old boy held up his beer and clinked glasses with the man he was about to become. “And now, because you were a good boy today and you followed my lead and obeyed me like a good boy should, you may have a small piece of this lemon cake they have on that cart over there.” Gus motioned with his fork in the direction of the cart. Ray looked behind him with almost uncontrolled excitement. His legs tap danced a little bit because he was in hyperactive kid mode all of a sudden.
“Ooooh,” Ray said, his mouth salivating. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”
“You’re welcome, boy.”
After they had retired for the evening to their room, there was a knock at the door. It was Veronika.
“Hello, Mr. Upton, I hope you have been enjoying your stay at La Vida Variado.”
“What can I say? I feel like a new man!” Gus spread his arms out with a cocky grin.
“Yeah, me too!” Ray said, excitedly. “I mean, sort of, cept’ in the other direction I guess.”
“So how does this work exactly? When do we swap bodies?”
“At noon tomorrow you will be accompanied to a special hot springs not far from here. That’s where it will take place. After that, you’ll be in your new bodies. As for your names, you will switch those as well starting tomorrow. You’ll be Ray,” she told the boy “And you’ll be Gus,” she told the hulking 6’4” manchild. “Is there anything else we can do for you tonight?”
“No, sweetheart, you’ve done a great job so far. Here, you take that for your troubles,” Gus winked as he slipped her a five dollar tip.
“Thank you, Mr. Upton. I’ll see you boys tomorrow!”
“I’m gonna be a boooy. I’m gonna be a boooooy!” Ray sing-songed as he jumped up and down.
“Yes and I’ll finally be a man. You did a great thing by bringing us here, Ray my boy!”
“Thanks, Daddy! Oh wait, we should switch names, huh?”
“You’re absolutely right, son! From now on, YOU ARE GUS. I AM RAY! YOU GOT THAT, BOY?” Gus was speaking as authoritatively as his 8 year old voice would allow, attempting to deepen the octave of his voice as low as he could muster it to go.
“Yes, I’m Gus! I am Guuuus! I’m Gus and you’re Ray! I'm Gus and you're Ray!"
"From now on, I am, kid," Gus said, feeling amused.
"You're my Daddy, now! You’re Ray!” Ray was so excited. He was now Gus! He felt like Gus.
“Right. Well,” Gus, now thinking of himself as Ray, yawned. “Time to hit the hay, kiddo!”
They went to their beds, listening to the sound of waves and feeling the cool tropical breeze flood in through the window. Both of them had trouble sleeping at first. Ray felt too bulking and his legs felt too long. Gus felt like he should be taking up way more space. It was slightly unnerving as they faded off to sleep, but both were very comforted by the fact that they wouldn't have to be in these bodies for very much longer.