Chapter 7

Your own Stupid actions, should not be confused with fate

It was a pain to get up at 6am but they did, and after light breakfast they were off to the airport, where they met up with Robogym, whose appearance was more of him preparing to jump out of the plane rather than Patrick. They got out of the car and walked over to him as he said, "So, we might have a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" asked Patricia.

"Well, you have to be eighteen to jump and Patrick isn't."

"Shit!" screamed Patrick.

"Yeah. I called Rogigilo, who was very upset that I woke him up, seems he had company, and he just got here to talk to his uncle, the jump instructor, and is trying to work something out."

Disappointment showed on Patrick's face as he asked, "So I might not jump?"

"Not sure my man, waiting to see if Rogigilo can make it happen."

He went back to the car and sat on the hood waiting as Patricia and Robogym went to his truck and talked. He was frustrated and somewhat pissed off at this turn of events as all was going so well with his Bucket List up until this point.

Ten minutes later Rogigilo came out of the hanger shaking his head. He stopped to talk to Patricia and Rogigilo and must had said something funny as Robogym nearly fell over laughing while Patricia covered her mouth as she laughed along with him.

Patrick got off the car and quickly made his way over to the laughing duo and Rogigilo and asked, "So, am I going?"

Rigigilo was white as a ghost, and as he looked over at Patrick he said sadly, "Yes, you're jumping."

Patrick jumped for joy as he screamed "Yahoo!"

"And so am I" he said dejectedly.

"That's so cool, we're jumping together!"

"Well, not cool for me.

"What? Why?"

"I have a fear of flying."

Laughing Patrick asked, "Really?"

"What! A lot of people have a fear of flying!"

"Yeah, but you go like, 190 miles an hour on a bike and you're cool with that, but put you in an airplane and you go to pieces?"

"Hey, on a bike I'm in control, on a plane, you can have any pot smoking, drunk off their ass amateur pilot that can't fly worth a shit! And don't even get me started on the planes!"

"So why are you going up?"

"That was the deal I made, it's either you and me or no one."

"What?"

"Well, it's kind of my fault. I've been ribbing my uncle about NEVER flying or jumping out of an airplane. When he found out you were sixteen he wouldn't take you up, it's kind of a rule. So I made a deal that I would jump if you could jump."

"Wow. Thanks Rogigilo!"

"Yeah, no problem. I mean how could I not jump when it's on your list? I'm not a pussy! I might be a chicken, just not a pussy. Come on, we got to get ready" and turned to walk back into the hanger.

The layout of the office in the hanger was almost identical to the one he was in before going up in the plane with Crash, the only difference was the large screen TV along the back wall and a row of lockers along the outside wall.

A man in a flight suit came up and said, "You must be Patrick" and extended his hand.

Patrick took it saying, "That's me."

"Great, I'm Oscar, the jump instructor, why don't you head over to the lockers and someone will be with you to help you get ready" he said with a smile.

Patrick headed over to the lockers and sat down on a bench and waited for someone to come over to him. He was joined by Rogigilo who came in from the hanger and sat down beside him. "My uncle will be over in a few minutes to get us ready. It's pretty straight forward, we will get dressed in a jump suit, watch a video on jumping, and finally the pre-jump instructions that really just go over the video. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yea!"

"Shit! I was afraid of that."

Seeing the look on his face Patrick asked, "You really don't want to do this don't you?"

"Nope."

"Listen Rogigilo, I can't ask you to do this, so let's just forget it and get out of here."

Shaking his head no, "Absolutely not. If you can face what you have, than I can face this."

"Really, it's okay. I've got no choice in what I face, you do. And I would gladly walk away from this if you don't want to jump."

"No. You are one strong individual Patrick, and ah, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I wimped out. It wouldn't be right. So, no matter how I feel, you and I are jumping."

From behind them they heard, "Wow, got some balls there Nephew. Glad to see it."

Rogigilo smiled and without looking back said to Patrick, "That, would be my Uncle Ron." Turning around he said, "Uncle Ron, this is Patrick, Patrick, this is my Uncle Ron."

"Pleasure to meet you Patrick."

"Thank you, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I want to thank you for getting my nephew to go up with us today."

"Well, if it was up to me I wouldn't, not the way he feels about flying."

"Don't forget the jumping."

"Oh right, and the jumping."

"He made a deal, I'm keeping him to it."

"Yeah, but, I can't jump if he's that set against it. Thanks Rogigilo, but, I can't do it."

"Hey, don't quit on me, cause I'm not quitting on you. I knew what I was getting into, I'm a big boy. And I couldn't live with myself if I chickened out."

"What the hell are you talking about Roger?"

"It doesn't concern you Uncle, that's between Patrick and I."

"Jumping is on my Bucket list and Rogigilo is helping me."

"Bucket list? Isn't that for old people."

"Or those that are dying."

"Let it alone Patrick."

"I'm dying and skydiving is on my list."

"Roger, you mentioned nothing about this?"

"It was, before, a private matter."

"Well, I can't deny a young man a Bucket List item, especially a friend of my favorite nephew."