Chapter 45

The summer passed quickly after that. Brenda continued to practice with her cheer squad and when school started, she would be even busier. The only problem was that her court date was coming up and Craig was busy keeping her out of jail.

When the court date finally came up, the judge handed out 3 points for her license and 40 hours of community service, which ended up her picking up the trash along the highway where she was busted for speeding. There she was, wearing a bright orange vest alongside all of the others who were busted for speeding picking up trash. It took her a month of Saturday's picking up trash to work off her community service. When she got home from these days, she was worn out, sunburned and dirty.

It's a good thing that our condo had lots of hot water. She would have used up an entire tank if we lived in a regular home.

Yes, I said condo. Ashlee and I did choose the condo downtown for our new home. We spent a small fortune with Julie making sure the decor was just right. She did a great job.

We chose an architect to rebuild my old house. We chose to have them tear out the old foundation and start from scratch. This put the completion date back by 8 months, but I had a new place to live so it wasn't a big deal. The final version of the house was going to be three car garage, two stories with a sun room in the back and all of the amenities that a modern home needs. The basement was set aside for storage and the utilities along with the garage. Expanded to three cars from the original two was going to take up a bunch of space. Which is why the basement wasn't going to be used for anything except for storage and utilities. It made sense to me and the architects.

School started, football games started and we parents sat on hard bleachers to watch the games every Friday night. The games were, kind of exciting. No one was very good but we enjoyed yelling and cheering along with the kids. By the end of the game, Brenda was hoarse from yelling; we were hoarse from cheering and screaming. I got really into football games, I cannot lie. Football is my favorite sport and I tend to get excited in watching it.

September, Brenda's birthday party in Dallas, Texas. I had been on the phone with Richard throughout the month of August making sure that everything was ready for Brenda. We went with Ford's dark blue with white racing stripes down the center. I loved the look and since the car was originally blue, it wouldn't require them to make very many changes.

A few weeks before, I called a party coordinator in Dallas and told them what I was looking for. I told her, the coordinator, that I was going to buy my future step daughter an old mustang that the monkey garage was doing for us, and she was like, "Well we need to rent out their restaurant for everyone and arrange for a band to perform for her. Then we can do the reveal there and everyone will love it." So I was like, "Make it so."

The party planner also arranged for us to give out souvenir purses/bags to the girls who were going. Since most of the girls that were coming with us were minors, one of the kids parents were invited to come with us. That would make it easier for us to manage the girls and get them in and out of the state without trouble.

I will give you one chance to guess who Brenda invited. Cheerleaders. Lots and lots of cheerleaders. She invited the varsity team, the JV team and the freshman team. That would mean that we had 75 cheerleaders going and 75 parents who were also going to go with us. 150 people from Kansas City to Dallas. Ashlee and I started making phone calls finding a way to get all of these people down to Texas and then into a hotel and move them between the location while in Texas. It looked like we would have to charter buses while in Texas and find a large charter plane to move us all down south. A plane that big probably didn't belong to any one single person, but I made the calls.

"Hello, Executive Charters. How can I help you?" A young man answered the phone.

"Hi. This is Paul Johnson and I need to charter a plane to take us from Kansas City down to Dallas the first week in September. Can you help me out?"

"Not a problem sir, how many people?"

"That may be the trouble, 152."

"Ouch. 152 people and luggage. Let me see." The young man made some clicking noises on a computer then came back. "We have only one plane that big, and it should carry 152 people, may I put you on hold while I make a phone call?"

"Sure."

He put me on hold and I covered the mouthpiece and spoke to Ashlee, "He thinks that he has a plane that will get us down there. He is checking on something."

"Good. I'm not making much headway on a hotel though. We may have to look outside of Dallas to find a place to stay for all of us."

"Mr. Johnson, thank you for holding. No, unfortunately, I don't have a single plane that will carry all 152 at the same time. The plane that I could find can only carry 50 so it would have to make three trips to get everyone moved. I am really sorry sir."

"No problem. I'll call you back if I can't find anything else."

We said our goodbyes and I put the phone down and rubbed my face. "All this money and I can't move 150 people from point A to point B easily. Now what?"

"You may have to call a commercial airline and charter it to carry us all down there." Ashlee said.

"That would mean that we would have to go through government security and you know how much I like that."

"Oh, I know. What other option do we have?"

So I started an internet search to see who goes from KC to the Big D. American Airlines did. So I called them.

I hate dealing with computer phone systems. I really hate it. When I finally got to a human, they didn't know anything about it so I had to call someone else. United Airlines, no luck. Southwest? Nope. I managed to get a human on the phone at Delta airlines. They had a charter arm of their airline and after only one transfer later I was talking to Peggy.

"Delta Airline Charters. This is Peggy."

"Hi Peggy, this is Paul. I need help moving 152 people from Kansas City to Dallas Texas the first week in September. Can you help me?"

"Sure I can help you dawling. Why don't you tell me about your trip."

"My future step daughter is turning 18 and her big gift is in Dallas to be picked up so we are going to make it a weekend trip for her and a group of her friends."

"150 friends? Wow, that is a lot of people. She is lucky to know so many people."

"Yes, it is even easier when half of the people are on the same cheerleading team from high school. The other half are parents who are just going along for the trip."

"Wow sir, this sounds like a wonderful trip. Let me get some information from you. Name?"

"Paul Johnson"

"Address?"

I read off the address for the condo.

"Can I get your phone number sir?"

I read it off to her and gave her Ashlee's cell phone as well.

"Mr. Johnson, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure."

"Are you the same Paul Johnson who won the lottery and gave all of those people your family's body parts?"

Great. How many people know about me? "Yes, I am the same person. How did you know about my family?"

"The video of you doing the radio interview is a huge YouTube video. I cried so much when you listened to your wife's heart in that lady's chest. I just love that video, you did an amazing thing."

I could hear her sniffing and wiping her eyes. I covered the mouthpiece and asked Ashlee, "Do a YouTube search for me would you?"

"Sure, what am I looking for?"

"Start with my name and see if anything shows up."

I went back to Peggy. "Let me put you on hold for a minute, I need to start getting this arranged."

Ashlee must have found something, her eyes got real big and her eyebrows jumped up. "I think I found something."

She turned the laptop to me and I saw the video she found. One of the TV stations from KC posted a video which was a compilation of all of the people coming up and shaking my hands, including me listening to the people who got my family's hearts. 100 million views and counting. It was a worldwide popular video. I scrolled through the comments and so many were there. So many of them were praising me for saving those people or for making the decision to do the right thing. Many more were also wishing well and hoping that I found love again. Even I got a little emotional after watching it.

"Mr. Johnson? It's Peggy, thank you for holding."

"Yes, Peggy. What did you find?"

"I can do it. If we leave at noon on the Friday you mentioned, I can get you to Dallas in only an hour and a half. When did you want to come back?"

"Sunday. These ladies need to go to school on Monday."

"Oh yes. I understand." She typed in her computer and said that that Sunday wouldn't be a problem. "What time on Sunday?"

I thought for a second, "how about 3pm. What can you do?"

She typed in a few things. "Ok. We can do that. Though it will be closer to 3:15 then 3pm."

"Oh sure. Sounds good."

"Mr. Johnson, do you have a list of the names of the people going?"

"No, not yet? Is that needed?"

"Yes sir, it is a government regulation."

"Shoot. Can we book this and I'll get all of the information to you tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll send you a form you and duplicate and fax it back when you have everybody's information."

I gave Peggy the e-mail address and while we were closing our call by giving her my billing information and a deposit from my credit card, my e-mail dinged and I started the printing task of making 150 copies of the document.

"Thank you Mr. Johnson for choosing Delta for your charter. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I have one last question? Which airport are we going to be leaving from here in KC?"

"Let me check." More typing, then she told me, "From MCI, isn't that the main airport for your city?"

"Yes, but it would be so much easier if we left from the downtown airport instead. Can you arrange this?"

"I should be able to. May I put you on hold for a minute?"

Back on hold and then a minute later she came back and said that it would ok. "The only thing is that I will need to send you a different form. Here, it comes." A second later, my e-mail dinged and a new form arrived. I cancelled the current print job and started a new one. The old forms went into the trash and half way through, I had to fill the paper tray again.

"Thank you Mr. Johnson again for your business, it has been a pleasure talking to the man who has done so much for so many. Wish your daughter a happy birthday from me and Delta."

"I will. Thank you."

I hung up the phone, put it on the table and then sat back in my chair and rubbed my head. "Ok, so here is the plan."

Ashlee pushed the laptop away from her and looked at me. "Tell me."

"The documents that we are printing out need to be filled out by everyone going. Once I have them all done, I fax it back to the airline and we meet at the downtown airport then we fly down on Friday and back on Sunday. Have you gotten anywhere with a hotel?"

"Yes, I think I found something. There is a hotel down on the south side of Dallas that can handle all of us, but we will have to double up, since they have only 75 rooms for us."

"Well, that doesn't matter to me. 75 rooms where we have two people in each room. Works for me. Book one more than what we need just in case please."

She picked up her phone and made the call. She book 77 rooms which was pretty much all of the rooms in the hotel.

I called the party planner, giving her the plans for us. I told her about what airline we were taking, when it was leaving KC and when it was supposed to arrive in Dallas. She said that she would be sending to us the gift bags for all of the girls and parents. She was having a hard time finding so many of the same bag so there was going to be a small variety among the bags. I didn't care and it sounded like everything she was doing was going to be just fine.

The day of our leaving, and the three of us are freaking out! Brenda can't find the panties she wants to wear to the party. The bra she has on isn't fitting right. Ashlee can't decide which dress she wants to bring with her. I have the suit I am going to wear at the party, the casual clothes I am going to wear, the lounge pants I'm going to sleep in and the special nightgown I have packed for Ashlee when we arrive. I think everything is set, but these two just can't get their stuff together.

The one thing that we don't really have space for are the three large boxes with all of the fancy traveling stuff in them for our guests. It doesn't fit in the jeep and it doesn't fit in the rover. I had to call a bus to come and get just the three of us just for the three boxes.

"Would you two hurry up, the bus is going to be here any minute and if we miss the flight, then there is going to be hell to pay!" I yell from the front door.

"Ok! Coming!" and then "Be right there daddy!" See, they do actually listen to me.

They both come running into the entryway carrying their bags while I have the big suitcase for the three of us. Why pack three bags when one is enough. We all head to the elevator after I lock the door.

When we arrive downstairs, the front desk clerk is helping the bus driver move the boxes onto the bus and we run aboard and grab a seat. The downtown airport is very close. On a clear night, we can see it from our neighbor's condo and watch the planes come in and out. Good thing though, very few come in and out and our windows are very good so the noise is not a big deal.

We make it to the airport, unload the boxes and then spot some of our guests who are traveling with us.

SCREAM!!!! "BRENDA!!!" SCREAM!!!!! A small group of bouncy girls come running over to us after we get off the bus and start unloading the boxes.

SCREAM!!!! "I'M HERE!!! SCREAM!!!! They descend upon us and as more girls show up, the talking get louder and louder and I move further and further away from it all. Ashlee, who speaks 'teen-girl' starts to organize them and move things along. I grab the bag and move it toward the building. Ashlee is handing out the bags and the girls again SCREAM!!!! when they open them and see what is inside. I don't really know, but they are about $1000 bucks a piece. Yes, I can do the math as well, the amount of money for the bags alone is crazy, but shoot this is just the interest in my money in the bank. It didn't even coming close to touching my principal.

The airline has a gate just for us and we walk out onto the tarmac and into the plane; all 152 of us. We fill the plane. That many girls all talking at once is overwhelming so I sit in the front. Ashlee and all of the other sit behind me. Squeals and screams continue to come from the back of the plane as more and more of our guests.

"Can I join you?"

I look up from my mental time away to see a dad of one of the girls standing next to me... "Sure."

"Thanks. I don't think I can stand that much estrogen for much longer. It gets overwhelming."

"Why didn't you send your wife instead?"

"Divorced. The mom is in California with her Mexican boyfriend playing house. She runs off leaving me holding the diaper bag and that was years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Paul." I say holding out my hand.

"Hey. Derek. My daughter is Suzy on the freshman team."

"Glad that you could make it."

"Wait, are you the Paul who is arranging this whole thing?"

"Yes, that's me."

"It is an honor to meet you then. This trip, how, why?"

I lean over to him, like we are sharing state secrets, "how is not your concern. Why because Brenda deserves it."

"Really?"

"Yes. I could spin you a tale of what she has been through that would bring tears to your eyes, but the bottom line is that she and her mom, my future wife, deserve this. Plain and simple."

Derek sat back and was amazed by this statement. "Bottom line, thank you for taking us on this trip. We haven't been out much. With me working all the time, then coming home to play mom and dad to Suzy, yeah. Not much time to do anything else."

We sat quietly while the stewards came on the PA system and walked us through the safety system and so forth. Then the engine started up, we were backed up and then the plane started to taxi away from the building.

Once we were in the air and flying, the stewards came through and started taking orders. "Are you going to charge anyone for their drinks?" I asked the lady serving us.

"No. With your charter, it is all taken care of."

"Thanks." I ordered a beer and Derek beside me also got one. They then went on down the aisle taking care of our guests.

Derek and I didn't talk much. We were both pretty comfortable with silence, though if you consider the noise coming from the back of the plane, silence was what we didn't get.

"Derek, I have a question for you." I finally asked him.

"Hmm."

"Did you get a bag when you came aboard?"

"One of the gift bags?" I nodded. "Yes, your staff knew that I was not a mom and packed the bag for me personally. It is very nice. Thank you."

"You are welcome. I hoped that they weren't all made the same that may be tough for any dads that come with us."

"Speaking of dads, where is the other guy I saw come on board?" Derek asked.

I sat up and looked back over my seat toward the back of the plane. So many of the girls were up out of their chairs chatting with others or acting out their cheer routines, It looked very busy back there. It may have been busy, but I still found the other dad back there chatting up my woman.

"grrrr." I excused myself from Derek and went back to Ashlee's seat.

" ... and if you leverage your stock options..."

"Hey Ash, you ok back here with all of these girls?" I said, interrupting the man who was currently talking my wife's (can I say that even though we don't have the papers signed by the state?) ear off.

Ashlee picked up where I left it and said, "Oh they are fine, but I would like to stretch my legs." She got up and excused herself from the guy talking her ear off. She followed me to the front and we stood near the bathroom. "Thank you for rescuing me from that guy."

"What was he going on about?"

"Oh he says he has a line on some stocks that WE," she said with emphasis pointing at my chest and hers. "should be buying. He thinks it is going to explode and he wanted us to send some money his way and invest in his company."

"Did you get the name of it?"

"No, I tuned out after he started in on it."

I kissed her on the forehead, "Next time, send him to Adam. Plain and simple, 'call my guy and talk to him.' It will save you and me a lot of trouble."

"Ok, thanks." She pulled me against her for a hug, but I suspected that it was more of a hero hug. The kind you give the guy who just saved you from a fire. No passion, just appreciation.

I invited her to sit and I then did introductions. "Ashlee, this is Derek, he has a daughter in the back with the rest of them. Derek, this is my awesome other, Ashlee Jones."

"Jones?" He got a puzzled look on his face. "Is your family from Independence, Kansas?"

"Yes, why?"

"My dad works from your family gas wells? I'm Papa Brad's son."

Of course none of this meant anything to me. But to Ashlee, it was like she was meeting a long lost cousin. "Derek!" She screamed and threw her arms around him. "Oh my gosh, what are you doing here? How long have been in KC? Why didn't you tell me that you were you?..."

Once I realized that this was going to be a family reunion I stood around watching them interact. I had already talked to the man, found him hard working and respectful so I was not worried about him stealing her. Not likely to happen. "Be right back." I said to them and wondered to the front. A steward was cleaning up from their drink run. "How are we doing?"

"Mr. Johnson." She said with surprise. Her name tag said that her name was Paula. "You scared me sir. We are just fine. Everyone back there has been served and we will be landing in about 20 minutes."

"Did any of the girls give any trouble?"

"No, they did just fine. They are all pretty typical for the age group. All bubbly and full of energy." She got a faraway look in her eyes.

"Wishing you had that energy level again?"

""Yes. Youth is wasted on the young." Paula said to me but mostly to herself.

"No truer words have ever been said." I handed her my empty cup and before I turned to go, "Paula, are you being paid extra for this flight or is this just a normal day for you?"

The talk of money brought her back to the present and she looked at me with more clarity. "This is pretty typical for us. These weekend trips like this are pretty routine and we are being paid correctly."

"Are you going to be our crew on the return trip?"

"Yes. The airline doesn't need this plane for another week so we are going to take in the sights while we are here then get you all home on Sunday afternoon."

When I heard that the flight crew was going to be sitting around doing nothing, well I had to do something. I pulled my phone out and scrolled through my contacts, once I found Richard's contact information I asked Paula, "Do you have paper and a pen?"

She opened a cabinet and handed me both. I wrote down Richard's information and handed it back. "When you get bored on Saturday, call this guy and get the address for his restaurant. We are having the party there Saturday night and I am officially inviting the flight crew to come and party with us."

She looked at me and then the address. "Really?"

"Sure, why not? You have been very gracious in take care of all of us so why shouldn't you be here to enjoy the fruits of your work?"

"Thank you Mr. Johnson. I'll make sure that the rest of the flight crew gets this."

"You are welcome. Oh, do one more thing for me." She was nodding her head and saying anything. "Get me the first names of the flight crew so that I can show them my appreciation for their hard work this weekend."

"Oh, it's hardly hard work. You all are such nice people, a little noisy, but this is hardly hard work."

"Please." I took her left hand and wiggled the ring on her ring finger, "You are obviously in a relationship so this is taking you away from them for the weekend. Please do this for me."

"Ok. I will. You don't have to you know. A gratuity will be on the bill and that will be enough."

"Paula, do you always look a gift horse in the mouth or is it just this time?"

She laughed and relented. She would have the names for me when we head home. I would make sure that they each were shown my gratitude properly so I thanked her again for her work and went back to my seat. Ashlee and Derek were still catching up on old times so I took a seat next to them across the aisle and closed my eyes to relax until landing.

Paula came over the PA system and let us all know that we were on final approach and that everyone needs to take their seats and put their tray tables up and return their seats to their full and upright position.