Chapter 30: Didn’t We Meet Before?

Tuesday evening, April 2nd, saw us in Biloxi by eight. We had purchased replacement supplies and stopped for two meals en route. Billie was in bliss, snoozing in the back of the camper after we stopped three times for lovemaking. Naturally, she slept au natural. I might be in a lot of trouble if Mississippi Highway Patrol stopped me and conducted a search. Thank you, Prohibition--when cars were no longer homes. It’s a fine legal theory--that the contents of my camper were a domicile--but the Law means nothing when a .38 is aimed my way.

Our camper was a marvel. Entering from the rear, the kitchen sink was roadside and moving forward was the range--a full three burner stove with oven, all propane. Then there was a propane-powered refrigerator. A double bed was above the driver’s cab. Returning to the rear door, curbside was a toilet room with a shower--short duration shower due to small water and holding tanks and a chemical toilet. Next was a convert able dinette that was also a storage unit and another double bed. Cabinets were tucked where ever there was room. As long as we were able to visit coin-operated laundries, flush our waste water, refill propane and water and motor fuel, and resupply, Billie and I cold live in our mobile camper indefinitely. The living space was cramped but compared to what I had experienced during the war, camper living was luxury.

I pulled into a White Castle and picked up a bag of cheeseburgers, apple pies and two colas. White Castle had a simple menu. I took the food to the camper and clambered aboard. Billie didn’t stir, so I ate a couple of cheese burgers and one of the drinks, left the rest in the sink where driving wouldn’t throw everything around, and left Billie sleeping. I drove around for an hour until I found a place to park for the night.

“I ate both apple pies,” a naked Billie said from the dinette. “And the rest of the burgers. They were small.”

“I want to buy some guns,” I said.

“Athena won’t like that.”

“I didn’t like abandoning four perfectly good revolvers, either.”

“We did alright without guns.”

“New flash--back in World War Two I sometimes had to operate unarmed. It got worse after the Berlin Blockade. What pistol do you prefer?”

“Next you’ll want a rifle.”

“Naturally, Billie. And a shotgun. But first we need at least two pistols. I’m rather flexible but I’m looking at the Smith and Wesson Model 39. I don’t know how I’ll find one, so I will probably wind up with something like a police-style revolver. I don’t like snub nose revolvers because I don’t shoot them well. Whatever you want is fine by me, but you must be able to keep four out of five shots on a dinner plate at 25 feet. The rifle can be a 30-30. The M1 Carbine is less powerful but probably a better deal. We can pick up a second rifle before deer season. As for shotguns, I don’t like the kick of a 12-gauge but I can put up with it.”