Chapter 18

New Year's Day I was wheels up from Macarthur at daybreak. I flew south past McGuire Air Force Base, where I closed out my flight plan and went to visual flight rules. I set the ADF for Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport. The flight path took me east of Philadelphia and west of D.C. I avoided restricted airspace. It was a clear winter day, perfect for flying. Over Charlottesville, I set the ADF to Birmingham. I flew west of Atlanta and was wheels down at Tuscaloosa at twelve, with more than three hours of fuel left in my tanks.

I wasn't really surprised to see a Lauderdale plane at operations.

I taxied and shutdown next to them. Lib, Hub and Colonel waved. While I completed the logbook, the Lauders joined me inside the plane. They sat in the leather seats as I put away the paperwork.

Lib said, "Very nice".

I said, "Grandfather and I liked your plane so much I decided to get one like it. She's larger than I need most of the time, but I wanted something big enough to take some of the New York staff around and something comfortable for Grandfather."

Hub said, "Aero Commanders are nice aircraft; large, comfortable, quiet and roomy. The 680 FLP is larger and has several more features than our 680 model."

"I expect I will do more longer-distance and cold weather flying than you do. I thought I would get the extra space to be able to shuttle people between New York and Fairhope. That's the way I justified her, but I really liked the way she flew. I do think the pressurized cabin will be more comfortable for Grandfather and allow me to fly a little higher more comfortably."

Colonel said, "She a beauty, inside and out."

"Thanks, I hope it's more than an expensive toy."

Lib said, "We brought someone to help out for a while. I think you met Sally before."

I saw it was the colored woman who had given me the full body massage after Lib's charity ball. She was wearing a white nurse's uniform. She stood by their plane.

"Yes, I remember Sally. You didn't have to do that. Hi Sally, welcome aboard."

"Hub didn't want me to stay over here until you are up and running. You can thank him."

"Thank you Hub; I appreciate the thought."

Hub said, "I wouldn't want to turn Lib loose on Tuscaloosa. They'd never forgive me."

Lib said, "Beau didn't think Sally would be a problem with the neighbors. I don't remember you as having a color problem."

"I have nice neighbors on both sides; older professors and their wives. Leo and Kari Funk have been really nice to me. They are so happy I don't have loud parties, they won't get upset about Sally. I'd like to have her help."

I limped out. Hub opened the baggage area.

Lib motioned Sally over. "You remember Rob. We consider him a Lauder."

Sally said, "Yes'um."

Colonel said, "I have my car to take us and your luggage. Can you drive the Monza stick?"

"Not well, but I'm sure I can get home in it. Sally, can you drive a stick?"

She nodded.

I said, "If you need to get back, Sally can drive mine back. I don't have luggage, just some medical supplies."

Lib said, "I want to see you're situated before we go back."

Hub said, "I'll drive your car."

I didn't have much in the plane, mostly medicine and food on my diet. I pulled off the wheelchair and used it as a walker to the car. Colonel and Sally unloaded my things to his car. A ground crew prepared my plane to go to the hanger space I had rented. The old Air Corps field had plenty of hanger space.

We got to the house and I turned on the television. The Cotton Bowl was on. Colonel and Sally unpacked the car. Then Colonel and Hub watched the game. I got Cokes out of the refrigerator and Lib took them to Colonel and Hub. I rolled in the wheelchair near the telephone.

"Excuse me a minute. I need to call Grandfather to tell him I'm here." I went into the study and called.

Richard answered and Grandfather was on almost immediately.

"I'm in the house. No problems at all. The Lauders were at the airfield when I came in. They brought someone to stay with me and help."

Grandfather said, "That will ease Brooke's mind. I'll call her, but you should call her later."

"I'll call her after the Lauders leave. I'll call you tonight."

I put the phone in the cradle.

Lib asked, "Do you want Sally in the house or over the garage?"

I responded, "Wherever she would like to stay."

When Sally came in, Lib said, "Look around upstairs and over the garage. It's your choice where you want to stay."

Sally came back in a couple of minutes.

Sally said, "I'd prefer the southwest corner upstairs. I like light."

Lib asked, "Do you need help with your things?"

"No ma'am. I don't have that much."

Sally took a suitcase and hanging clothes up the stairs. She brought some boxes into the kitchen.

Lib asked, "Tell me about this operation."

"I have two Russian doctors, who trained together in San Francisco. One is at Columbia Medical School/Presbyterian Hospital in New York and the other is at University of California San Francisco Medical School. My New York doctor operated on me to remove scar tissue in my arm and leg, and she grafted some blood vessels in my leg. The San Francisco doctor developed medication that hopefully will encourage muscle growth in the damaged areas. I have to be monitored closely for side effects. It has about a fifty-fifty chance of working and providing significant improvement. I'm hoping it will."

Lib asked, "How are you going to monitor it?"

"I air freight weekly blood samples to San Francisco. I'm going to get more extensive workups monthly in San Francisco; except for the first one, which will be in New York after finals. There is more to these doctors than they are letting on. I really noticed that when I was in San Francisco; it was spooky. Maybe it's just Russians?"

Lib asked, "Do you need a nurse? Sally's not a nurse. I can send you a good RN."

I said, "I'm sure Sally will do fine. I don't need a nurse. Someone at the college health center will draw the blood. I think I'm overexcited from flying my new plane down. Flying is almost as good as sex."

Lib laughed. "I didn't need to know that. You take care. We should be going. They can listen to the game in the plane. Beau's going to leave his car at the airport. Someone will fly him back Wednesday. Come on men, you can listen to that on the plane."

We hugged.

I remembered and gave her the pictures of me between Grandfather and Will in our white suits.

Lib laughed out loud. "I love it, especially Will. You looked right at home. That is funny. I can't wait to see you in that suit. Beau has one; we call it his Tennessee Williams suit."

I said, "I'd wear it all the time if I could write like Tennessee Williams."

I thanked Lib again for arranging for Sally. The Lauders left.

I asked Sally, "You care about these football games?"

She said, "Not a bit."

I turned the television off.

I went over my diet with Sally. She warmed a meal Jan had fixed for me. Sally had brought three sacks of groceries of things she liked to eat. I had heard of collared greens, but had never seen them. The leaves were huge.

"You are losing out on some fancy food Miss Lib fixed."

I said, "You eat it if you want. I can't."

"If I ate all that, I'd get fat. I don't want to be ever a fat 'you know what'."

"You have a perfect figure. I know girls who would give up Colonel for a figure like you have."

"I don't know I's that good, but I do draw men. I like men about as much as Colonel likes women."

I recalled I thought Sally was smarter than she let on when I met her in Mississippi.

"What do you do for Lauderdale?"

"I help Miss Lib around the house and I do a little gardening."

I asked, "What kind of work do you like to do?"

"I love to grow things; flowers and things. I have some garden. It's the best on the Plantation."

"The Plantation?"

"That's what the colored folk call the Lauder's mainhouse and farm. I could fix up flower beds and plants around your house? I doubt you want a garden."

"I know a little bit about trees, but not much about flowers. I wouldn't think it's the best time of the year to be planting things."

"It would be alright for some things. Not the best, but okay. It's not that cold. I know some daylilies that would go good now."

"Come up with a plan of what you'd like to do, then we can talk about it."

She nodded.

I said, "You don't have to wear a uniform, but it might help when you go shopping."

She asked, "You care if I wear pants?"

"Not at all. I like to wear knit shirts around the house, but you wear whatever is comfortable."

"How about in the yard?"

"Comfortable"

She said, "Daylilies would go really nice in several places here. Easy to take care of too."

"I wouldn't mind a raised bed across the back border? I think I would like some color and a solid border in the back; maybe two or three levels. And beds along the side would be good too. If you need some help, we'll hire some laborers."

She smiled. "Don't get too busy? Less is more.

"Colonel told me you is family before the time at the guesthouse. Miss Lib thinks you're real special. If you need tension relieved, just say so. I give good massages and do special treatments for you."

"I remember. I don't think I can handle a special treatment now. I don't want to bust a blood vessel they just repaired."

She smiled.

I said, "I have two women who come twice a week to clean the house. You don't have to do more than help me keep things straight and do the kitchen. It will give you more time to work in the yard."

She asked, "What do you need help with most?"

"I guess dressing, cooking, running errands, anything that requires two arms or bending. I'm not supposed to be on my leg much."

She nodded.

I said, "Taking me places too"

She said, "Miss Lib wants me to keep a close eye on you."

I said, "We don't want to disappoint her."

I called Dorothy and told her I was in safely and about Sally.

Dorothy said, "Fred and I will be over this afternoon. We won't stay long, but we want to see how you are doing and meet Sally. If you need anything, call."

I called Brooke.

Brooke said, "Grandfather called and let us know you were in safely. I'm glad Lib was there and brought someone to stay and help you. Will's watching football. I have the needlepoint frame set up and have been doing needlepoint, while he's been watching the bowl games."

I said, "Sally, the woman Lib brought to help me, likes to garden. She's going to put in some flower beds and plants around the house, while she watches over me. I just wanted to let you know I'm in and being taken care of. I'll let you get back to your needlepoint."

"I'm doing a needlepoint canvas you gave me and I'm looking forward to the greenhouse. I've enjoyed watching them put it in. The greenhouse is finished, but not everything in the hothouse will be ready until later. It's going to be really nice. The contractor said that it was going to be the nicest one around here."

While Sally straightened and put things away, I went through the mail and caught up on St. Joe.

Dorothy and Fred came by during half-time of the Missouri game.

Dorothy asked, "How's the leg?"

"I guess I'm on schedule. It's taking longer than I expected." I have to watch what I say. I almost said "You look good." I can't say anything like that, especially something like I missed you, though God knows I did.

Dorothy said, "I can see you're in good hands. If you need us, don't hesitate to call."

After supper, Sally helped me wrap my leg and arm so I could take a shower. My arm wound was healed over but the stitches were still in. My legs had a couple of places that were suppurating around the stitches. Sally helped me get in the shower and dried me off.

I showed Sally how to clean the suppurations. Then we put on the topical ointment and I gave myself the injections. Sally put the medicine jar into a large Ball jar and put in refrigerator. She put the ointment tube in its own Ball jar and put it in the refrigerator.

We put on fresh bandages.

I got in bed and called Grandfather and then Lib. After I finished talking with Lib, she talked to Sally.

I heard Sally say, "He's doing fine. He's had a shower, done the medicine, and we put on fresh bandages."

Sally smiled.

"Yes ma'am. I understand. I'll take real good care of him."

She put the phone back in the cradle. Sally smiled. "Miss Lib said for me to take good care of you."

She moved my gym shorts' leg over and gave me a first class blowjob. "Next time I will get naked and we can do it right. You get some sleep."

I slept well.

In the morning, Sally brought breakfast to my bed. She had measured and fixed the breakfast exactly according to the diet. After I ate, I took care of my toilet and we went through the shower, medication, and bandaging routine; no blowjob this time. Sally helped me put on pants and I sat in the wheelchair.

On Wednesday, Hub flew Colonel to the University. Lib came. I wasn't surprised when Lauderdale's head nurse and physical therapist, the one Lib liked, were with them.

I got hugs from Lib and the physical therapist. Hub and Colonel greeted me.

The minor suppurations had closed and the incision was light pink. The nurse said, "A few more days for the stitches on the legs. Might as well get the ones out of his arm now. They look good. For not having antibiotics, you're healing well." She cut and pulled the stitches out.

The older white nurse asked the colored physical therapist. "I think he should stay off the leg until the stitches come out; what do you think?"

"I think that's best. No need to take a chance. He's going to be weak and sore, but that's not a long term problem. I agree that it's best to be safe with the sutures. Rob, stay off the leg as much as you can."

Lib said, "We'll be back Friday afternoon. Do you need her to draw your blood?"

"I've got it set up at the clinic for Monday mornings. They have arranged for the sample to be taken to University Hospital in Birmingham and flown out with their specimens that morning. I'd like to stay on that schedule."

Colonel said, "I'll call you after I get back to the house. You need anything?"

"Sally's followed Miss Lib's instructions. I don't need anything."

I smiled. Lib blushed just slightly.

Lib said, "We need to get back. We can be here less than an hour after you call. We can bring a doctor or whatever you need. We have a doctor and pilot on standby."

"I appreciate everything you've done, but I think I'll be alright."

"We'll see you Friday afternoon."

Colonel asked, "Do you need me to preregister you for next semester? I'm going over to sign up for the private pilot course."

I said, "Fred came by. He took care of it. Think about having them plan to take you through multiengine and instrument training too. The only schedule change I had made was to add Professor McWilliams' advanced writing class as an elective. I'd arranged that with Professor McWilliams before Christmas, so Fred only had to hand in the forms and pay my fees."

Lib asked, "That going okay?"

I knew she meant Dorothy. "No problems at all"

"Good, we need to get back."

She gave me a kiss and whispered, "You're a bad boy making fun of me like that. I should tell her to stop."

After they left, I said to Sally, "Nothing gets by Lib. I don't even try to fool her."

"Miss Lib is something. You don't never want to get between her and hers. Them that has only did once. And Colonel is as bad about his Mother. I heard tell somebody disappeared after giving her a bad time; and the fellow only threatened and scared her."

I said, "I doubt if Colonel or Hub lets anyone mess with their people either."

"That's a fact. Colonel treats all of us almost like family, but his Momma is real special to that boy. Everybody at the Plantation knows about Mr. Rob, Miss Jane and Missy Libby too. We'd be down there in a flash if anything happened to Missy or Miss Jane. Nobody in Lauderdale County messes with any colored Lauderdale people. The Sheriff makes sure none of those Klan or White Citizen Council fools mess with us either.