Chapter 23

I took my morning shower, fixed a double pot of coffee, then cleaned the kitchen a little. It was an every morning job only because there was no room to store dirty dishes and utensils while they waited to be cleaned. The small scaled house made me a better housekeeper.

Before I left for the range, I filled my travel container with scalding hot coffee. I could only hope it stayed warm a couple of hours. My ‘go coffee bag’ held the metal thermos of coffee and two singe serve plastic insulated cups. I scrupulously washed them before I packed them that very morning. I also slipping into the .357 upside down hanging holster. It wasn’t the best holster for the up coming job, but I still had a few days to pick up a new one.

When I arrived at the range, I waited for Mary Beth to arrive before I called the range office to release the gate lock. Once we were inside I relocked the gate, then showed Mary Beth to the first firing station. It was the spot where she should begin her lessons.

The station was sitting on the ten meter line. That was about 33 feet on a real tape measure. It was also about as long as the longest room in any ordinary building.

The first thing I did was give Mary Beth the Safety lesson. “Treat every gun as though it is loaded until you verify that it isn’t. I can’t stress that enough,” I explained. “Keep your finger away from the trigger until you decide to shoot. Once you decide that it is necessary, choose the safest angle you have then do it. Don’t second guess yourself, just do it.”

“Let’s have a cup of coffee before we put on the ear protection,” I said.

“I didn’t bring any ear protectors,” Mary Beth said.

“They provide it here,” I said. I poured the first of the morning coffee into the two small cups.

“Hey Ed, how is retirement?” the range master asked.

“It’s everything I expected from poverty,” I suggested.

“Lot of guys say that,” he said. “I hear this new gig is a freebie.”

“It is year but it’s going to save me thousands of dollars in anti depressants,” I said. “Well I have to let the pretty lady show me how it’s done.”

“She probably can. She for sure is smarter than both of us put together,” he said.

When he had gone, I explained to her about the specifications of the bullet but I knew she didn’t care. I loaded the .357 with 158 grain .38 special wad cutter ammunition. It wouldn’t pack quite the punch of the .357 but it would be more than enough.

“You will be tempted to go all cowboy on me, if you ever need to use your weapon. Like the old Kodak ads say point and shoot. That is stupid and dangerous. Stay calm point and aim then relax and shoot. Then you might live to do it all again,” I said.

I ran the target down range, then showed her how to stand how to sight the pistol then how to squeeze it in a dry run using an empty gun. She verified it empty, then I verified it empty before she dry fired it several times. I kept an eye on the end of the barrel as she squeezed the trigger.