The Tree House - Book 1
Chapter 9

Copyright© 2010 by AJ Martin

Luggage, Smuggage! I can tell you right up front, I hate that wait for that horrendous bell or horn to sound before the luggage belt starts to move. Of all the sounds I have heard at various airports, the Klaxon horn actually is worse than the wait. Who ever in their right mind thought up that thing.

But sound it did and even though there were more than fifty clowns and us waiting, Michelle’s suitcase miraculously was the first one to slide through the dangling rubber things, whatever they’re called. Like the curtain at Oz, those dangling things hide from all to see, the monkeys perhaps controlled by the Wicked Witch Of The North that damage our luggage.

Michelle screamed and dashed to grab the first treasure on the moving slow belt, pushing huge by comparison, adults from her path. Lindie and I exchanged a laugh and a smile at her actions.

Man, it was so nice to see my little Lindie again. Michelle’s every motion and move was pure Lindie at eleven. There was such a familiar sway to her hips that a picture of Lindie swinging and swaying, practicing her dancing in their back yard, flashed through my memory. I could really feel Michelle slicing into my heart and I loved the warmth she was spreading through it.

I squeezed Lindie’s hip with my hand that she was still holding tightly to her. There was only one thing to do to express the love I was feeling for the both of them and that was to reach up with my left hand, pull her chin my way and get lip-locked to that wonderful face.

Everything whited out. All my senses just went on hold as our lips told each other we were way past just loving each other. If there had been a way, I’d have found a closet and there would have been a lot more than kissing going on. As it was, there was soon a tug on my shirt from a little hand called Michelle. Both Lindie and I separated our lips.

I looked down at the interruption to see two things. The first was Michelle had not only tugged on my shirt but was tugging on her sister’s sun dress. The other thing I saw was that grin I so much loved beaming up at us.

The next thing that happened had all three of us laughing. The little devil started to show her stripes, if devils have stripes, when she told us laughing, “Get A Room!”

I knew that anything I’d say wouldn’t be a comeback to that stopper of Michelle’s. This was going to get very interesting I thought to myself. Lindie and I were going to have our hands full until Michelle’s little vacation ended and she went back home and to her mother.

All Lindie and I could do in response to that comment from Michelle was to gasp and then laugh. If Michelle only knew, that’s what I wanted to do with Lindie! Well, actually I guess eleven year-old’s these days know all about that kind of stuff.

I’m also pretty sure that Lindie was thinking along the same lines. I’m also sure that Michelle could sense the love that her sister and I were feeling for each other. That was expressed in her huge grin.

Lindie leaned down to gave Michelle a sisterly kiss and tell her it was time to get going. I grabbed the suitcase, Michelle slipped on her backpack again after Lindie handed it to her and we made our way to the parking lot and off out of the airport.

“When’s the parade?” Michelle asked as soon as I pulled out of the parking space and before I reached the exit ticket booth to pay the parking fee. Lindie looked at her watch and said, “Just about the time we get back to Rock Creek.”

“Great!” exclaimed Michelle and then the never ending questions started. Michelle wanted to know everything and anything that came to her mind. I know that after I’ve been apart from my mom, when we get together, I’m the same way. Talk just floods forth until I get worn out spilling the beans and hearing hers.

That’s the way it went and I loved every second of it. Soon, Michelle was talking about the Tree House. Was it still up? What did it smell like? Had we been up there?

It was as if she had talked with Lindie about it all of her life. It was just like the Tree House was part of her life too. The thing that really hit that home was when she reminded us that her birthday was the next weekend and asked if she could add her hand prints there too. She knew our habit of hand prints!

My heart melted right away. Lindie looked at me sort of pleading, sort of asking, sort of very pleased Michelle wanted to do that. I gave a little nod and mouthed “Sure” to her. Michelle screamed that Banshie cry again when she was told it was OK with both of us. Just hearing that gleeful sound, even though in the tight confines of the car it deafened us, it was worth it.

Her next question was when could she see the Tree House. “Well,” Lindie said, “We have a pretty full evening with the parade, barbeque and the concert. How’s tomorrow morning. We can all meet there after breakfast.”

“Fine with me,” I said, not shadowing the happiness circulating through the car. I’d wanted to spend the night with Lindie before I’d known Michelle was going to be around for a while. And I wanted Lindie to stay around for a long time too.

Yeah, you know what else I wanted. But I didn’t think Lindie was going anywhere and in my mind, waiting just a bit more, was worth it.

Again the subjects changed and the conversation flowed on. Hearing and talking was pure pleasure and pure love. Soon, we were back in Rock Creek and we quickly found an empty spot along the parade route. The one with the head on her shoulders was surprisingly Michelle. She had spotted the folding chairs in my trunk and when we got out of the car, she suggested taking them.

The business district of Rock Creek is all formal like with sidewalks edged with bricks and old fashioned lampposts set near a real curb. Community Development funds had spruced up the downtown area real nice. Actually, part of the parade was not only honoring the country’s fallen heroes and those who served and the Mayor was scheduled to give a short dedication speech for the improvements.

So, there we were, our chairs set just a bit back from the curb and Michelle alternately, fidgeting while she sat on the curb or jumped into either of our laps waiting for the parade to begin. Lindie and I held hands and this whole thing was making me feel so grand. I’d never thought of children before with anyone I’d dated but now, with Lindie, my heart was smiling.

I knew that my heart wanted to ask her by lunchtime tomorrow for her to be my bride and give Michelle a bunch of nieces and nephews. That couldn’t happen too soon for me. Well, there were a few things that needed to be cleared up and that would begin when Lindie and I had our heart to heart talk. She had said there were things I needed to know about her and I sure had something important to tell her!

Lindie squeezed my hand and it was just as if she had said, “Earth ... To Mikey!” OK. I’d zoned off a little as I thought about everything. There was Michelle, standing in front of me, asking me if she could get a balloon.

How could I have zoned out at such an important moment. I gave Lindie a sheepish glance, she laughed and of course I told Michelle, she could have a balloon. The way I felt, she could have the moon if she asked. I’d have leaped into the sky and plucked it for her, just like I’d have done for her sister.

The smile on her face was pure child, pure love and of course, pure Lindie. After I handed Michelle a couple of singles for her wanted balloon she ran across the street to the vendor. I reached up twisted that beautiful face to mine, telling her “I’m so lucky to have you two in my life,” and kissed that object of my affection.

Leading the parade was Rock Creek’s favorite senior citizen and Parade Grand Marshall, Old Bill, as everyone called him. He had fought in WWII and was our oldest veteran, just shy of 100. Being as old as he was, Old Bill was waving to everyone from his wheelchair and was being pushed by other veterans, who were honored to perform that privileged duty. After that it was all fire trucks, bands, marching uniformed groups and dancing schools showing their style.

 
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