Chapter 53

So, now you ask, "Why are you taking the K5 to Lake St. Clair? If you insist on messing around with boats, why don't you leave it at Pentwater and fly up on weekends? I mean, Jesus, kid."

"That's a very good question. We got bored. When we made the decision we weren't going to go for two years, we graduated a whole year early and the idea of flying back and forth... ? We had no intention of learning to fly, we were just hauling Candy to Franklins so she could learn. Life makes funny squiggles out of carefully thought out and meticulous plans. We got squiggled. It's not our fault we don't suffer from inner ear imbalance. We're both gymnasts so flying through the air upside down twisting and turning doesn't bother us. Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that."

In Chicago, we trekked to the tower and passed out bags and bottles, the military presented us with paperwork, kicked the tires and fueled it while Antler Wendy burgers were heating on the platform in front of the radar dish. The engine started on our aircraft and they flew off with it. We watched it go from the tower.

"They took our aircraft."

"How about that."

"They'll be back."

"What makes you say that?"

"We left my cat in the space behind the seat."

Chicago is NOT the place for aerobatics, there's FAA rules against it. Didn't seem to bother the fliers. Some of the stunts hadn't been seen since the First World War ... fairly soon ... not much more than ten minutes ... the SNJ came staggering in, landed, taxied to the tower and Piper abandoned ship.

The recipient of the three lettuce, mayo and dill pickle Wendy's stared at the huge bundle of fur running for the tower, "Jesus! That's your cat? No wonder you weren't worried."

Straight up the steps and into the tower. She kicked the door shut, used the momentum to propel her into my arms and wrapped herself around my neck.

DADDY! Those fellas were mean to me.

The thunder of heavy feet on the stairs ... the door burst open and a man waving a bloody hand.

"Look at my hand! That damned animal!"

Daddy ... he called me an animal!

"Shoulda said you were taking the plane. Ooo, those are deep. You should have those looked at. GRACE!"

"WHAT?"

"Come look at these scratches."

Grace came in from watching hamburgers reheating by microwave. "David, that's amazing ... Ooo those are deep. Lemme see." She was immediately searching in her 'bag'. She found the bottle.

Saying Iodine stings in open wounds is like saying the Titanic had an owie.

She doused.

We learned new words.

"Where's your partner?" Grace asked.

Umh, Daddy ... he tried to throw me out.

"Piper!"

She cringed. It's times like these that one realizes to ones dismay, that felines are sharp on five of six ends.

"Piper said she hurt him!"

Our present wounded said, "Hurt? Whaddycalldis? Fuck that hurts."