Third Time's the Charm
Copyright© 2014 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 8
Instead of heading out in a car, they loaded everyone ... cats too ... in the back of the Estate Wagon (old pickup truck) and popped and sputtered all the way to the airfield.
There were a bunch of old guys there ... including a fella with a B-26.
"If we pay for the gas, oil and your time, will you ferry the bunch of us to Franklins in Lansing?" Grace asked.
The old guy said, "I hope to shout! I been needing to talk to Ben. Buy the gas and oil and my time is free."
He called for a tug and a tow to the pumps ... filled up and towed back.
David paid. "Why do I always have to pay, Grace?"
"Because you love me ... and that couch is pretty lonely."
That got a nod.
So ... we all loaded up in the narrow winged aircraft and hot rodded over to Lansing.
"Don't mention us. It's a surprise," said Grace.
"You got it. Nick to Ben ... Nick to Ben."
"Hey Nick."
"Hey Ben, got time to shoot the shit and do a hundred on ol' Betsy?"
"You bet ... what did you do ... rob a bank?"
"Costs more to fly every time I turn around ... just a couple of them new fangled inconvenient stores. Banks are bad news."
"Come on down, Nick. You might have to stay the night. Harold is about all I trust on a twenty-six and he's inspecting some new used aircraft. You'll like it."
"Ten minutes, Ben."
"Ben out."
"Nick out."
"Lansing tower to Nick and Ben. I done told you fellas about this before. The war is over ... we do have rules."
"Good Christ on a Stick ... is that you, John?"
"'Lo Nick."
"John has a jjjjooobbb? Sorry ... I hate that word."
"Life ain't worth a damn since the war, Nick. The VA said I wasn't crazy after all. So they decided to see how I'd do with the most stressful job in the world ... Air Traffic Controller."
"It's what you did in the Army, John ... they try and fit the crime to the criminal."
"Hey ... fuck you and the horse you rode in on."
"I always knew you were kinky, John ... but an animal activist?" Nick laughed... "I thought you were into goats."
"That's a lie, Niiiiiccccckkkk ... Sheep ... it's always been sheeeeeep ... Glass of water and a piece of ewe. Nice landing, Nick."
When the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engines, shut down, the cats were the first ones out. They found some sand and used it. Hineahuone dropped out next ... Harold was impressed. Then Grace graced them with her presence and David followed.
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