Chapter 34

“Hilda ... I answer to the voices in my head.”

And everybody squished up trying to move away. That struck me as funny ... so I laughed. And everybody started looking for a way out. I drove a little faster. I must have sounded deranged. I was chuckling silently and, distracted, missed the first Buffalo interchange.

“Drat! missed my turn.”

Just past the exit about a quarter mile is the EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY turn around. I took it, bumped back on the freeway shot across both lanes of traffic and took the north off-ramp and headed south on Main. The first right past the church is somebody’s driveway ... but I know it goes through to Airport Road. I took it, sailed past both homes turned right on the paved Airport Rd. and bombed around the corners.

I slid to a stop by my hangar and unlocked the side door. Turning on the lights I stood for a couple seconds admiring a fully operational SNB Navy/Coast Guard trainer ... not experimental. I unlocked the aircraft and let-down the baggage door. I pushed the button to open bi-fold hangar doors and let the light in. I fussed with the tug, hooking up the tow bar to the tailwheel and dragged the shiny polished aluminum aircraft out of the hangar, unhooked and put away the tug and started the Dodge, parked it in the hangar and commenced the pre-flight checklist.

The luggage was gone from the van so I assumed the girls had stowed and boarded. Finished with the external checklist I climbed in expecting ... not what I found. Amy, Hilda and Bethanne were seated ... but laughing like crazy.

“Where is everybody else?” and that set the girls off again.

Amy finally got it together enough to say, “As fast as they were running, I’d say half way to Sheridan.”

And ANOTHER round of laughter.

Hilda said, “Karen. You scared the piss out of ‘em.”

A picture of innocence, I said, “Who ... Me?”

A burst of laughter.

“Karen, you know you didn’t want them. You handled that perfectly.”

“Bunch of sorority girls,” I said. “But, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Liar!”

“I suppose I ought to see if I can at least get them to the freeway ... they can hitch from there.”

Hilda said, “If I didn’t know what you’re like ... your laugh would have had me digging and scratching to get away. Muahahaha, my ass.”

“Damnitall, Now I Feel Bad. Those poor girls.”

I got out of the plane and headed for the hangar. I opened up and got out the Dodge. Hilda came and stood in front until I rolled down the window.

“What?”

“What are you doing? They abandoned us ... we didn’t abandon them.”

“Hilda, I have to try.”

She got in the passenger side. “Let’s go then. You won’t be happy until you do.”

There were only three girls at the side of the road. They hadn’t made it all that far ... probably because they obeyed the NO Trespassing sign at my favorite shortcut. They were huddled at the roadside and shied away when I pulled up.

Hilda rolled down her window and shouted, “Get in. Before you freeze.”

It was tempting to drive off and leave them but I waited. There was whispering and consultation. Hilda got out and walked across the road. Hilda is well over six feet, probably close to 2 meters, if you insist on using that foreign measurement. She is a “Commanding Presence” even though she’s a nice girl. More consideration and talk.

“Karen ... shut it off.”

I shut down, the girls walked across.

“Gimmie the keys, Karen. Get in the back.” Hilda got behind the wheel.

“Load up, ladies.”

Hilda said, “For all of me, I’d leave you here but Karen insisted.” She shifted to neutral and started the van.

“Karen, I believe you have something to say.”

“I’ll be good. You can stay at the house. I was pissed about the luggage. I have a weight I must maintain or that thing won’t fly. But, first. Where is Suzy?”

It was garbled but finally I got the idea. Suzy is from Buffalo. Some guy she knew drove by in a pickup and she flagged him down.

“There wasn’t room for all of us.”

“So Suzy is safe?”

“She said she would be. Look ... Sue is ... persnickety ... only child and used to her own way. When Barb says there wasn’t room for all of us ... what she means is they drove off before we could say anything.”

Hilda was idling ... at least my heaters work. The shivering mass was rapidly warming up.

“Look ... we’re burning daylight. We need to get going or Karen is going to have to put us up for a night at an airport hotel. What?”

“Going to have to overnight anyway. I can’t get there today. I have a 1200 mile range and it’s 2200 to Lauderdale. I’m comfortable with Columbia, Missouri. But that’s it for the day. This is my fault ... I’ll pay for the night ... motel, or hotel. We’ll need an early start in the morning. I’m sorry for the fuss.”