Chapter 19

[Jack writes]

There wasn't anything further to do. I cut everything off.

In the morning, we rose to see that the rain and bad weather were gone. We still had no power. "Sandy, with no power, we might want to go out to eat today. Let's get Chastity and walk. We can get my car or yours out and go then."

"That works for me, Jack. Let's move." We got out of bed and put on our running clothes. I headed downstairs while Sandy woke Chastity.

They joined me in the living room and we walked out. At the entrance to the complex, we saw the Georgia Power trucks working on downed lines. We could see the tree on the ground that probably caused our outage. We walked down to the park and back. There were leaves and branches everywhere on the ground. We were close to the complex entrance when a police car went by us heading toward the complex entrance. The driver saw us and stopped after turning his emergency lights on.

Two men got out and Chastity ran across the deserted street shouting, "David!" Sandy and I followed more sedately to rescue David from her embrace. Looking at David's face though, he didn't have the look of a man who wanted to be rescued. He did look tired despite his joy at seeing and hugging Chastity.

I said, "I think you should take her into custody for jaywalking and assaulting a police officer." Sandy and I grinned.

David grinned. "Do you think I need to put her in cuffs of just hold on to her?"

Chastity grinned broadly, "He doesn't need cuffs. He carries my heart everywhere he goes now."

David looked at her seriously. "We will talk about that some more." He smiled. "I'm on the way back in to check out. Would you wait breakfast on me?"

Sandy smiled, "Sure, otherwise we wouldn't be able to live with Chastity."

Chastity said, "How long?"

He said, "About an hour but I will still be unwashed and unshaven."

"That's okay. Don't delay for that."

He looked at Sandy. She smiled and said, "Come on straight to our home." She grinned. "Maybe we will have Chastity bathe you." That made Chastity blush heavily.

The man riding with David was loving it. He said, "I'll see that he gets on the move quickly if she will let him go long enough so we can check out from this operation." Chastity blushed some more but slowly released David. He gave her a quick kiss, got in the car, and left.

Chastity looked at the departing car and murmured, "Perhaps I will bathe you someday." She giggled. She took our hands and said, "Let's go home." She laughed in pure joy. We walked home to find our power back on. We were able to shower and cook breakfast at home.

David arrived in an hour and looked showered and shaved to me. Chastity didn't care because she hugged him tightly and pulled him into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair and sat with her claiming his lap. Sandy and I were cooking. Well, Sandy was cooking and I was trying to help rather than get in the way.

We had blueberry pancakes and sausages. I prayed for people with weather-related problems and for those injured in the storms. I thanked God that we were all safe. I thanked God for the cook and for the meal.

Sandy said, "How was it, David?"

David said, "It was a long, rough night. If there wasn't a tornado over by 475, then it will do until a real one comes along. Our radios were off-line out there. We were communicating by your ham guys and the net control talking on a phone to our dispatch. I heard later that we lost a tower over that way. Our radio people finally put up a temporary replacement about two hours ago. I listened to what happened in the emergency. The only unfortunate issue that occurred was when a captain who came on the scene late tried to commandeer the radios.

"I was listening. There was nothing happening by then, he just wanted to be in control. He came over to Frank, the operator, and said, 'I am taking over this radio. Get out of my way.' Frank looked at him and signed off explaining that his radio was being commandeered and he would not be in control. He got out of his truck and walked away. The captain took the microphone and the fun really started.

"He said, 'This is Captain Cookson of the Macon police. I have taken over this radio.' There was a tiny bit of static and then everything went dead. The person who I knew was the net control said, "Illegal operator, this is a federally licensed service. It may only be commandeered by Presidential order. If you do not have an amateur radio license, get off this frequency. We have been working with genuine members of the Macon police force in an emergency. N4PR.'

"Cookson tried again. 'I am Ed Cookson, captain with the Macon police, and now in charge at this scene. Who are you? I need to contact my dispatch.' There was silence for a few moments.

"N4PR came back on. 'This is N4PR, legally licensed to operate on this frequency by the FCC. If you do not have an amateur radio license authorizing you to operate a radio on this frequency, get off the air. I have reported to my contact with the police department and advised them that I will file a formal compliant. I have advised her that we have lost contact with the 475 scene due to illegal interference. N4PR clear and standing by.'

"Cookson turned red with anger. After that, no one would respond to him at all. He has a reputation for not listening to subordinates. Ten minutes later, a car with lights and siren came to us. An assistant chief got out. He went to Cookson. 'Ed, are you responsible for the department losing communications at this scene?'

"He answered with a whining sound to his voice. 'No, sir. I took over the radio here to facilitate communication but they wouldn't talk to me. They claimed that I had no license!'

"The assistant chief looked at him hard for a moment. 'First, get out of that civilian's truck.' He looked around and saw me. Sergeant Ellis, would you please find the owner of this vehicle and ask him to please return and re-establish communications? Apologize to him for me on behalf of the department.'