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Post by papaof2 on Mar 15, 2018 17:32:53 GMT -6
Speaking of country music, does the advent of self-driving vehicles mean there'll be songs about some good old boy's truck leaving him?
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Post by cutter on Mar 15, 2018 18:05:59 GMT -6
Yes but if you play it backwards, It will come back
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 15, 2018 18:12:49 GMT -6
"Thank God and Intel, my Dodge Ram's gone"?
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Post by cutter on Mar 15, 2018 21:18:09 GMT -6
Dodge Ram, is it dodging you or ramming you? I just wish it would make up its mind.
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Post by cutter on Mar 16, 2018 22:08:57 GMT -6
Here we go. Stacy loses her temper at church, Mark's closet technophobe comes out, Bobby gets some unexpected good news, and Kit's having some problems. Enjoy, please.
Chapter 8
Before church started, the clan found out that one of the main transformers had a catastrophic failure at a substation and shrapnel from it had taken out a second one. A couple of people who live close, reported hearing gunshots a few hours before the explosion, but in rural areas like this, gunfire isn’t uncommon any time of the day or night. It’s getting pretty common for people to have to shoot coyotes and wild dogs that are threatening livestock, pets, or children. For that matter, there’s always some Jonny Redneck Yahoo who just has to hear his gun go ‘bang’ in the middle of the night. If the power company or authorities know what really happened, they’re not telling.
Everybody was happy to see Mark back. He lost count of the handshakes and hugs. The only one he really minded was old Mrs. Davis. She’s a nice old lady and he really likes her and the Ruffles perfume she wears, but she must take a bath in the stuff. He thinks people can probably smell him now from a block away.
“...The Lord told his Disciples in Luke chapter 22, to take up their swords, and if they didn’t have one, to sell their coat and buy one. Later that evening, when Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was complete and the Pharisees came to arrest Jesus, Simon Peter cut off one of their servant’s ears. Jesus rebuked him and healed the man’s ear with a miracle.”
“There are two valuable lessons in those scenes for us as Christians. God never intended us to be helpless before evil. He never intended us to lay down our lives without a fight. Jesus had to sacrifice himself in order to offer us the gift of life eternal with God. There is even a theory among Bible scholars that says Jesus spent the time his body lay in the grave battling Satan. If that theory turns out to be true, no doubt the battle was epic and Satan only barely survived it because Jesus allowed it. No less than Jesus Christ Himself gave us the command to defend ourselves and other innocents from the acts of evil men. We must be cautious though. Jesus also gave us a grave responsibility along with that right. If we lash out blindly, attacking anyone or anything that resembles the evil man, regardless of whether or not they are a threat, we are acting in sin and are no better than the evil we claim to defend against. Almost twenty years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, I heard a man asked what he thought about his neighbor who was a Saudi Arabian Muslim. The man answered, ‘I will protect him with my life, unless he gives me reason not to. If he does that, he’s mine.’ That man died four years ago at the middle school; accounts say he shot the terrorist who tried to get into the lunchroom. Tim Donovan understood Jesus’ words and judged in righteousness. His Muslim neighbor wept for him at his funeral and cursed the cowardly terrorist who took his life. That neighbor comforted the man’s widow and later married her. He converted to Christianity because, after his friend’s death, he could not reconcile himself to the faith he followed. We cannot reconcile that neighbor’s former faith with ours, but absent an act of evil; we have no right to condemn him. All faiths are God’s to judge. It isn’t fair, but as Christians, the world holds us to a higher standard. People expect more from us; some because they believe we truly serve a higher calling, while others seek to set the bar for us so impossibly high that we cannot help but fail. As Christians, we owe it to our Lord and all who see us to face that standard in righteousness. We must first seek to serve God and accept that with faith, as with so many things, comes risk. There is no sin in battling evil, but there is no righteousness in condemning someone because they look or speak differently from us. Let us pray…”
After the service, Mark and Stacy catch up to Craig, the pastor.
“Craig, that was some serious, heavy duty preaching you did today. Good sermon.”
“Why thank you, my prodigal son. It’s good to have you back with us, Mark. I hope you will continue to make time for God in your life.”
“I never stopped making time for God, I just got busy on Sundays. Message received and understood though. How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good, but it looks like you’ve been even better. Let me see that ring, girl.”
Stacy’s smile lights up the room as she proudly holds out her hand to show Craig her engagement ring.
“Well, now you went and did it, Boy! I suppose you two will be wanting to get hitched soon so you can quit living in sin.”
“That’s the basic plan, but I’m not so sure about the living in sin part. Anastasia and I have already committed to one another, forsaking all others. Until about five hundred years ago, there was no such thing as a marriage ceremony in either the church or the state. I suspect the church at the time was seeking more power over the congregation and the state just sees it as a way to steal more money. There are some legitimate advantages to being officially married before God and man, but we will be no more married when you tell us we are than we are right now, except on paper.”
“What is it with your family? Are you running a farm or a Bible college out there?”
“A little of both. You’re welcome to attend anytime you want; the tuition’s cheap. Seriously, Before the Catholic church instituted the marriage ceremony as an official church function and edict to the parishioners in 1563, marriage was a man and a woman living together by their own choice, consummating their relationship, and having and raising children together. The Anglicans were next to adopt formal marriage ceremonies, with other denominations following as they sprang up. Somewhere along the line, the Jews developed a formal ceremony.
“Mark, you’re killin’ me. How am I supposed to convince you that you two are committing a sin when you have all the answers to all of my objections? Did you look it up?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. I was expecting this conversation and wanted to be ready. I know you well enough to know you would seriously consider what I had to say before you blindly unleashed on us. That said, we would like for you to marry us, once we get the consent forms from her folks and my legal guardians and pay the state for the privilege. Will you do it?”
“You two know I will. Any idea when that’s going to be?”
“We’ll wait until school lets out. We expect June.”
“And how soon is the baby coming?”
“Craig Greene, that was hateful and rude! How dare you think Mark and I could be so completely irresponsible! I went on birth control six months ago because Mark promised me he’d propose on his birthday. He proposed Friday, so he was a few days early, but he and I discussed this three years ago. Unlike Kit, we have a choice when we have children. We did not make love to each other until Friday night, after he asked me to marry him and I said yes! Our children will be Marshalls and we will be able to provide for them when we have them! What’s wrong with you, Craig!?!”
“I’m sorry, Stacy. I was actually joking. The women in your family tend to be a fertile bunch. That’s not a bad thing. Despite the reservations Mark won’t let me have, I really am happy for you. I’m sure you’ll enjoy a long, happy, and devoted marriage. I would be honored to marry you, if you’ll still let me.”
Stacy wears a small smile, showing she’s still not happy with Craig, but she means what she says. “I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t do it again.”
“I’ll try not to. Next time, you might start actually breathing fire and burn me to the ground.”
“If you’re lucky, it’ll be that quick and painless. Craig, babies are a really touchy subject in our family. You know that. You’ve counseled Kit, Morgan, Brian, and Mom. You’ve counseled me! You did the funerals for Kat, Joanna, and Mason. I’m sorry if I overreacted, but you really offended me.”
“I never meant to do that. When y’all set a date, let me know. I’m actually looking forward to marrying you. I honestly don’t know how you two managed to be as serious about each other as you are and not have sex a long time ago.”
“If you want the truth, neither do we. I guess it was the Grace of God and lots of luck. Either way, we’re glad we waited. Not trying to get too graphic about it, but we both think the waiting made it so much better.”
“I can attest to that. Bri and I dated two years before we got married and I was about to come unglued, waiting for our wedding night; you two were together for four! Congratulations, I really am happy for the two of you.”
“Thanks Craig. We best get going; the guys are waiting for us.”
“Safe travels, my friends.”
“You too.”
On the way home from church, Mark and Stacy talk. Now that they worked all their really big problems out, conversation comes easily to them again.
“I wish Jason had been there this morning; I really wanted you to meet him.”
“So, where does he live?”
“He lives between us and town. I’m not exactly sure where.”
“When we get home, shoot him an email and ask him for his address. We’ll saddle up the horses and go see him.”
“I don’t know his email address and the phones are still down, so I can’t text him.”
“You’re killin’ me. You can introduce me at school tomorrow.”
“He’s home schooled. They just moved here a couple of months ago.”
“Fine. When they get the phones back up, call him and we’ll work something out.”
“You sound aggravated. Are you upset with me or are you jealous?”
“Neither, just annoyed with the phones being down. We depend on technology too much and it really screws us over when things go wrong. We’ll find him one way or another and then we’ll hook up. Why are you so determined for me to meet him anyway?”
“I just think you two will hit it off. He grew up in Louisville, so he’s a city kid, but he’s interested in a lot of the same things we are. He’s an Eagle Scout just like you are, so I think you can find some common ground. I think we can help him settle in and acclimate. I think he’d be a friend and ally if we give him half a chance.”
“That’s a good enough reason for me. We’ll manage to get in touch with him sooner or later, somehow. Try to look him up on the internet when we get home, if it’s up.”
“I’ll do it after we get home tonight. I don’t want anything to get in the way of Sunday dinner. Aunt Morgan said to tell you they needed to talk to all of us. Todd and Sarah and Bobby’s family are coming too. Oh yeah, and Pete and Leslie and their kids too.”
“Wow, we’re gonna’ have the whole family today! About the only ones missing are Jacob, Sonje, and Luke, and Bert and Sue. Any idea what’s on their minds?”
“No. I saw Sarah talking to Brian and Morgan before church and it looked serious.”
“Guess we’ll find out when we find out. Anything you want to do after the family get together?”
“Yeah, our homework. We may be engaged, but we do still have to go to school tomorrow.”
“I forgot all about our homework!”
“You’ve been pretty distracted this weekend. Come to think of it, so have I.”
“Think we might fit a little more distraction into the weekend?”
“I think we can arrange that. We can’t do a repeat of Friday night though.”
“Not until next weekend anyway.”
“Can’t do it then either; the boys, their girlfriends, and the twins are coming over to stay with us, remember?”
“They gotta’ sleep sometime.”
“Yeah, they do; and I take after Mom and aunt Morgan.”
“Good point. I guess we’ll just have to spread it out over the whole week.”
“Now you’re talkin’! I almost forgot; we need to get our stuff from our rooms. At least we need to get enough clothes for a week or two.”
“Sounds like we have a full day. We may not have any time for distractions.”
“We could always do what the Israelis did back in the eighties to save water.”
“Take a shower with a friend?”
“Sounds like fun, don’t it?”
“Practical too. All that hair of yours almost takes two people to wash it. How long did it take you to do that french braid you had Friday?”
“Kit did it while I was putting on my makeup. It took her almost an hour. Did you like it that way?”
“I loved it, but it’s too much work.”
“I think I might manage it once in a while. I like to do things that make you happy.”
“You already did; you said yes.”
“Love, I did that for both of us. When they drop us off, can you get the garden cart in the garage?”
“Sure. You’re wanting it to haul the food over?”
“Yeah, gas costs too much to use the gator for a five minute walk.”
“I agree. I need you to do me a favor before we leave. I need you to check how we’re set on beef, pork, and chicken.”
“I can tell you that right now. I need two chickens this week, a pork loin and maybe a couple of steaks if you want them. Other than that, I think we’re set on meat for a few weeks. We’re good on vegetables and everything else too. Why do you ask?”
“Because I was going to talk to Morgan, Erin, and Kit and see if we needed to butcher a cow or pig this week. The chickens are no problem. We have enough in our flock to get what you need. Speaking of which, do you like duck?”
“Never had it.”
“See what you can find for recipes. If you find something you want to try, I’ll get us one. If you like it, we may start a flock of those too.”
“Old man Mark had a farm…”
“ E - I, E - I, oh.”
“Get us one this week and I’ll try to make Peking duck. We’re here. Let’s get busy.”
(...)
The Sunday dinner meal is almost like old times. It is wonderful to have so much of the family together again. Bobby and Kit are beside themselves when his brother, Joey and sister, Tia show up, along with Bobby’s Mom, Betty, and her new husband, Trent. Trent is a supply house sales rep. He met Betty a few months after Eliza was born. They had teased and flirted a few times when he came by Rubycon’s office where she works. When he walked in the office one day and asked her to go on a date, she had rambled and stammered and generally made a fool of herself. Trent had just laughed and told her he’d be back to pick her up at six on Friday evening. Kit, Bobby, and Eliza had stayed with the kids that night. Bobby was worried when his Mom hadn’t gotten home by ten. His phone call to check on her had gone straight to voicemail, followed by a text that said, “I’m fine. Having the time of my life. Sleep in my bed if it gets too late; I’ll take the couch if I have too. Love you.” Betty and Trent had been married a year later. Betty and the kids had moved from the old farm forman’s house to Trent’s place in town. Both of them are acting like teenagers today. Something’s up.
“Hi Trent. Hi Mom, how’re you guys?”
“Me and your Mom are doing great! How are you, Son?”
“TITI! JOJO!”
“Hi Eliza!”
“Hey! How’s my favorite Ladybug?”
“I good JoJo! Come play with me?”
“Sure!”
“You come too, TiTi?”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
Bobby watches the kids run off while he thinks about what Trent just called him. Betty was pregnant with Bobby when she married her first husband, Charlie. Charlie wasn’t Bobby’s father, but was the only father he ever knew. Charlie had never treated him like a son, even threw him out of their house when he started dating Kit. Trent treated Bobby like a close friend the whole time he and Betty dated. Ever since they got married, Trent has been quick to tell everybody that Bobby and Joey are his sons and Tia is his daughter. He calls to check on Bobby, Kit, and Eliza a couple times a week, just to talk to them and tries to always come visit with Betty and the kids at least every couple of weeks. It feels good to have a Dad who wants him.
“To answer your question, we’re doing good.”
“Mama, what’s going on? You two are acting like we did on our wedding night!”
“Kitty, Bobby, I went to see Debbie Thursday. I’m pregnant!”
“That’s great, Mom!”
“Congratulations, Mama. I need to go check on the kids.” Kit turns and hurries off.
“What’d I say, Bobby?”
“Mom, you didn’t say anything. You know Kit can’t have children anymore. Ever since Christmas, she’s been getting more and more upset that she can’t give Eliza a baby brother or sister after we graduate. I guess your news set her off. You can’t help it and you didn’t do anything wrong. I need to go check on Kit, but I couldn’t be happier for you guys.”
“Maybe I should go talk to her.”
“No, Mom. It might help her later, but right now she needs me. It’ll be ok.”
Bobby finds Kit sitting at a picnic table, watching the kids swinging on the swing set. She’s not crying, but she’s obviously upset. As he sits beside her, Bobby puts an arm around her and pulls her close.
“Honey, Mom didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“I know she didn’t. She didn’t hurt my feelings; I’m happy for her. Bobby, I’m sad for you and Eliza.”
“Don’t be sad for me. You’re my wife and Eliza’s my daughter; I’m blessed and well loved. Why are you sad for Eliza?”
“You have Joey and Tia; I had Kat and after she had to go home, I got Mark and Stacy, and then William. Eliza won’t ever have that sibling bond that we have and it’s my fault.”
“Kit, you didn’t choose this. We still have to wait three more years, but she will have a brother or sister, or both. We’re going to adopt, just like we talked about.”
“It won’t be the same.”
“You mean like it isn’t the same for you and Mark and Stacy and William? You claim an uncle as a brother, a cousin as a sister, and William actually is your brother who’s a year younger than our daughter. Of the four of you, only Mark and William have a drop of blood kinship between them. You’re not blood kin to any of them; you were adopted into your family. You’ve been living it for four years now; you tell me how it’s different, because I don’t see it.”
“I don’t know; it just is.”
“No, it’s not. You see it that way because you still feel guilty about something you had no control over. Debbie traded your ability to conceive children for your life. There’s obviously not much I can do to change your mind about it, but for Eliza and me, it was a damn good trade. Let me give you a little perspective, my precious and cherished wife. Had Debbie not done what she did, I would be a widower; Eliza wouldn’t have her mother; and I’d be raising our daughter, alone. God knows I love the little Ladybug, but I’m not the parent you are. I make the money that provides for us. I can do that because you do the more important work of caring for and raising our daughter, not to mention how much you do to support me.”
“You’re raising her too. Bobby, I don’t do that much for you.”
“I do what I can, and I do right by her, but you do so much more. While I’m at work in the evenings, you’re the one who’s teaching her to read and cook and garden and I’ve lost track of what all else you teach her. You’re the one who gives her bath to her and makes sure she has good food to eat. I get to come home and cuddle her in my lap and hear all about everything she did with Mama. I love that; it lets me remember why I wanted you so much. I love what I do for a living, but I live for the time I spend with her, and you, and the two of you together. It comforts my soul that our daughter has a relationship with you that neither one of us had with our mothers until we came here. If all you do for me is ‘not that much’; I’m afraid of what you call a lot. I get to enjoy clean clothes, clean sheets, a clean and comfortable home, and hot meals because of you. The bills are all paid and if we need anything, the money’s there, because you manage it well. When every inch of me is hurting from a hard day’s work, you put those talented hands of yours to work until I don’t hurt anymore. When I’ve had a bad day or something’s bothering me, you pull me out of it. You are a caring and attentive lover to me. Kitty, you’re a good wife and a good mother. By God’s grace, you’ll be a mother to more children than just Ladybug; not yet, but you will. When you are, Eliza will grow that bond with our adopted children just like you did with Mark and Stacy and William. Tell me how to help you stop doing this to yourself.”
“I wish I knew. I guess I better go explain to your Mom why I was rude.”
“You weren’t rude and I already told her what was going on. She’s worried about you, but she isn’t mad.”
“Think the kids will really be ok by themselves?”
“Are you serious?”
“Not really; I’m just stalling. This is what I want for Ladybug. It’s going to end too soon. In a few hours, they’ll have to go home and Eliza will be all alone again.”
“Mama! TiTi, JoJo stay?”
“They’re staying for a while, but they have to go home tonight.”
“Ok, Mama. I go swings.”
“Go have fun.”
“Luv you, Mama. Luv you, Poppa.”
“We love you too. You going to be ok here if Mama and I go help get dinner ready?”
“Yeah. TiTi, JoJo take care me.”
“Go play.”
“Bye, Poppa!”
“See, she’s lonely.”
“Kitty, she wants kids she loves to be around all the time. She isn’t lonely, she’s being a three year old. Come on, we need to go help.”
“I promised when we married to submit to you as my husband. I do it because I love you and you earn and appreciate every bit of it, but it’s hard at times like this.”
“You can sit and watch them all day if you want, but I don’t think it will help you. It’s up to you; I won’t tell you to come with me. Honey, your mind’s showing you what your guilt wants you to see, not what really is. It’ll all work out.”
“I hope you’re right. Let’s go see what needs doing.”
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Post by headlesshorseman on Mar 17, 2018 14:40:00 GMT -6
The relative values of cloaks and swords seems to have drifted a bit.
On that waiting for sex, as I recall the first twelve years went pretty smooth. Then things started getting rougher.
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Post by cutter on Mar 17, 2018 17:13:47 GMT -6
Haven't they though? Yeah, they both found it easy to resist until they had each other for mutual temptation.
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Post by freebirde on Mar 17, 2018 17:22:21 GMT -6
To quote Wikipedia: "The Koine of the New Testament uses the word makhaira to refer to a sword generically, not making any particular distinction between native blades and the gladius of the Roman soldier. This ambiguity appears to have contributed to the apocryphal malchus, a supposedly short curved sword used by Peter to cut off the ear of a slave named Malchus during the arrest of Jesus. While such a weapon clearly is a makhaira by ancient definition, the imprecise nature of the word as used in the New Testament cannot provide any conclusive answer." Probably a short, concealable sword.
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Post by cutter on Mar 17, 2018 18:06:57 GMT -6
Either way, we were never meant to be helpless when faced with evil. We are expected to act in righteousness however. I did not know that bit of trivia, Freebirde. I appreciate the education. Maybe I can win a game of trivial pursuit for a change if I keep hanging around here.
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Post by pbbrown0 on Mar 18, 2018 1:44:37 GMT -6
Speaking of education, cutter, I was just discussing with a very special friend this week that subject on which Mark lectured Craig. I have a master's degree in divinity from a seminary, and have conducted wedding ceremonies on two continents, but 'Mark' managed to enlighten me on that subject as well.
Thank you.
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Post by cutter on Mar 18, 2018 19:20:13 GMT -6
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 18, 2018 20:46:44 GMT -6
I'm glad that I didn't go with the idea that my education ended when I (barely) graduated from HS and had a couple of years of college. I'm learnin' stuff here all the time. Thank you, cutter.
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Post by freebirde on Mar 18, 2018 20:59:30 GMT -6
I was born with a terminal case of curiosity. I make the brag "If it's legal, I've done it or know something about it. If it is not legal, it's not open for discussion."
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Post by cutter on Mar 18, 2018 21:03:45 GMT -6
I used to be a moderator for the old TPASS board. I loved that place and the Admin was a super great guy. He had to close it down for his own reasons. I agreed with him, but I miss him and the board. We lost touch after he shut it down. It was a Prepper board with a story section. This is a story board with a Prepper section. I love it here too. This place is different. I never realized just how much useful information is in the stories. I think that the info being embedded in the stories makes it easier to remember. Even if you don't realize you cataloged it, something will come up and trigger a memory of the story, and by association, the memory of the needed information.
I grew up as a Prepper, back when we still called ourselves survivalists, and didn't even know I was one. My mother's parents were toddlers, but were alive when the economy went headlong into the wood chipper in 1929. They were serious about teaching me the lessons they learned the hard way. Even with that, a week doesn't go by that I don't learn something from the stories here. Patience and Jerry were always good about that. TOM was really good on the gearing up part, but he was always gunning up for a war he never would fight. I guess that's why his characters seemed to live so long; he tended to not put the in harm's way more than he absolutely had to.
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Post by cutter on Mar 18, 2018 21:38:28 GMT -6
Here's the next chapter. There's a lot of attitude in this one. All I can say is that young Terrell better behave. The crew is still taking care of each other. And now, without further ado, please enjoy the further adventures of the clan.
Chapter 9
Dinners and cookouts have never been formal in the clan. Groups of family and friends, constantly coming together and drifting apart to form or become parts of other groups, are normal.
“...So how’s work, Trent?”
“Bobby, sales are down because construction is down. I have to fly out in the morning for a trade show in Vegas.”
“Sounds exciting. How long are you gone for?”
“Kit, it’s exciting the first time; I’ve been there five times. I’ll be ready to come home long before I get to. I come home Friday night. At least it’s only once a year. I don’t really like leaving Betty and the kids in town alone.”
“I have a solution for that. We have five extra bedrooms in our house right now. Betty, why don’t you and the kids come stay with us for the week?”
“Stacy, you two just got engaged! I don’t want to invade your privacy like that!”
“Oh, for pity’s sake! We have the fire pit and the hand’s apartment in the barn like Bobby and Kit’s place! We can saddle up and ride up to the back forty. If we just can’t behave, we have places to go! Pack up and come stay with us for the week; it’ll be just like old times and the kids can play together.”
“You sure?”
“Betty, listen to the girl. Come on and stay with us. We’d be glad to have you.”
“Ok guys, if you’re sure.”
“We’re sure.”
“Guys, I really appreciate this. I feel better with my family out here instead of in town.”
“Why don’t you guys just move out here then?”
“Not anything for sale out here that isn’t at least a hundred acres.”
“Want us to keep our ears open and see if we can find something?”
“If you feel like it, I’m sure not gonna’ complain.”
(---)
“...both of his parents are in prison. We’re trying to place him because Louisville doesn’t have anywhere to put him. Things have gotten so bad up there that all the group homes are full and none of the single family homes will take him.”
“Sarah, what would we be up against with this kid?”
“He’s been in and out of Juvie a half dozen times in the last few years. Petty theft, assault, a couple of drug charges, truancy; he’s got a pretty long rap sheet.”
“Sarah, why would we want to take this kid in?”
“Honestly Morgan, you’re his last chance. Todd and I would foster him, but we don’t have a bed for him to sleep in. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but of the five foster homes that physically have the space for him, you and Brian are the one couple that I think can give him a chance to make something of himself. Call me crazy, but I want to give this kid a chance.”
“HEY MARK, KIT, COME OVER HERE!”
Hey Todd, Sarah. How’s it going?”
“Brian, you call Mark and Kit and all four of them come?”
“They’re joined at the hip.”
“No, me and Bobby just keep our women close to stay out of trouble. What’s going on?”
“Sarah, you tell ‘em.”
“Guys, Jefferson County CPS has asked us to take a foster they don’t have room for. Unlike Virginia did with Troy, we have his real records. He’s fifteen years old and has been in and out of the foster care system and youth corrections since he was ten. He’s a member of the Victory Park Crips. Both his parents are in prison, and will be until after he’s an adult. I asked Brian and Morgan to foster him because this is the one place with room available that I think might give the kid a chance.”
“So where do we come in?”
“Precious, y’all are in his age range. We might do a little good with him, but you and the crew are the ones who will really make the difference; you’re the ones who will have to do most of the heavy lifting with this kid. Another reason I’m asking is because of you and Eliza. We have to protect Eliza, William, and the Jedi twins. Your history makes this a potentially explosive situation. We won’t put our family at risk, at least not with the rest of the family going in blind. If we do this, we do it together.”
“I’m in. Bobby?”
“If it hadn’t been for you guys, me and this kid might have ended up as cellmates. Yeah, I’m in too.”
“Any sexual charges?”
“None in his record, Stacy.”
“Then I’m in too. Mark, it’s up to you now.”
“Why is it always me?”
“Because you lead the crew. Come on, Mark; you gave me a second chance and look what I did with it.”
“Gee Bobby, no pressure or anything. Fine. If Larry and Erin and the boys are in, let’s give him a shot. Understand me though, he lays a hand on one of us, the crew, or the kids; and I’m feeding him to our hogs, in pieces.”
“Damn Mark! That’s over the top!”
“Sarah, these are my people. You and Todd and your kids are my people. The crew is my people. I’ll give him a chance. If he wants to earn it, he can become one of us. If all he wants is trouble, I’ll give it to him. You know how it is here; family first and everybody else is second place.”
“I’m with Mark on this one. I’ll give the kid a chance, but I will protect my wife and daughter, and everybody else.”
“Sarah, I think that’s the best he’s gonna’ get from our bunch. If you recall, my attitude wasn’t any different.”
“I know, Honey, but this kid’s gonna’ need some time and work.”
“Sarah, Kit needed the same when we invited her into the family, so did Stacy. They got both and made good on it. We’ll give him what he needs, but what he does with it is up to him.”
“What the hell. Louisville said he’s never lasted past six months in any of his placements there; maybe you guys can break the record. When do you want him?”
“Will he keep until Friday or Saturday?”
“I can hold it off until Friday afternoon. Best I can do.”
That’s fine. Bring him by around supper time. Maybe being hungry will make him more cooperative.”
“Only you, Brian. So, about six on Friday?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, what’s his name, anyway?”
“Terrell James.”
“Cool. Listen, dinner was great and it was really good seeing everybody, but Stacy and I have to go. We have homework to do.”
“Is that what they’re calling it these days, Munchkin?”
“No Brian, really, we have for real homework to do to turn in tomorrow.”
“Well, try to save a little time for extra credit.”
“We plan on it. See you guys tomorrow.”
Mark and Stacy made sure to tell Larry and Erin goodbye and the boys too. Later that evening, Stacy gets finished with her homework; but Mark’s buried in his laptop with a frown on his face, making some notes on a pad. Fortunately, the farm wide internet is over landline connection.
“Having trouble with something, Love?”
“No, I’m just doing some research and I’m not liking what I’m seeing.”
“I’m finished, so I’m going to go start on some supper for us; anything in particular sound good to you?”
“Yeah, whatever you cook. You’ve never made us a bad meal. I’ll come help; I can come back to this later.”
“That was a really nice compliment. You go ahead and do what you’re doing. I’ll come get you when it’s ready.”
“Thanks, Love.”
After Stacy leaves the room, Mark starts talking to himself. He’s on some websites that Pete told him how to get into. He’s really not liking what he sees.
“I don’t know if we ought to take this kid in or not. Drug possession in amounts that look like he was selling, assault, robbery, vandalism, gang member; this kid’s fifteen years old and already has a cell at Eddyville with his name on it waiting for him. The family needs to know about this. I think Sarah and I are about to have a real problem.”
(...)
“Hi, Lover! Did you get done?”
“I haven’t even gotten good and started yet. You need to have a look at my notes when we get done with supper.”
“What class is it for?”
“No class, it’s the rap sheet and some back info for Terrell James. I’m starting to reconsider my opinion about taking him in.”
“Here, mash these potatoes and let me see that...Good Lord! Does Sarah know about this?”
“I don’t know, but if she does and didn’t at least tell Brian and Morgan, she and I are going to have real problems here real shortly!”
“I’ll say! At least four of these charges are a real concern!”
“All of them are! The only reasons he isn’t in jail are the prosecutor didn’t charge him with felony versions of these charges and his age. I’d be willing to bet his age is why all of the charges are misdemeanors. How close is supper?”
“Five minutes. Let’s eat and then take a ride over to Brian’s. They need to know about this.”
“Then let’s get it on the table and eat.”
After a hurried supper, Mark and Stacy are at Brian’s place.
(Knock)
“What are you guys doing here? I figured you two would be in bed playing by now!”
“Brian, you and Morgan need to see this. I did some checking; Terrell James is trouble, trouble, and more trouble.”
“Brian, who is it? Oh, hi guys! Is everything alright?”
“Not a damn thing’s alright! Brian?”
“We knew. Sarah told us, but where did you find this stuff?”
“Pete told me how to access some LE sites on the internet. This is all public information, but you have to know where to look to find it. I didn’t break any laws.”
“You reconsidering?”
“Yeah, I might be!”
“Guys, we’re his last chance. He comes here or he goes to prison. Sarah’s instincts have always been pretty good about this sort of thing. He’s fifteen years old; if we don’t give him this one last chance, he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars for sure.”
“Ok, you’re the head of the family, Brian. We’ll give him one more chance. I meant what I said; he lays a hand on one of our own and he’s dead.”
“He does that and I’ll help you make sure it looks like an accident. You really thought we didn’t know?”
“We weren’t sure, but we weren’t taking any chances. You do know, so we’re going back home.”
“Goodnight guys. Thanks for watching our backs. You did good.”
“Goodnight Morgan. Goodnight Brian.”
After they get back home, Stacy sees Mark is still really concerned about this new foster kid.
“Lover, we’re both too wound up to really enjoy playing right now. Why don’t we make a couple of cups of hot chocolate and go sit out on the deck. I think we could use the stars tonight.”
“Sounds like a really good idea. You’ve been spoiling me all weekend; why don’t you go on up and get comfortable and I’ll make us both a cup and bring it up.”
“You ain’t seen spoilin’ yet. See you there. I love you.”
Meanwhile, over at Bobby and Kit’s, it’s a little after eight and Kit is putting Eliza to bed.
“Did you have fun today?”
“Yes Mama! TiTi, JoJo fun!”
“Do you miss them?”
“Uh huh. I like play them.”
“Are you lonely, Ladybug?”
“What lony?”
“Do you wish you had a brother or sister?”
Eliza pats a little hand on Kit’s stomach. “Mama can’t. No can make baby.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Eliza.”
“Mama no be sad.”
“Go to sleep, Eliza. Mama loves her little Ladybug.”
“Luv you, Mama. Kiss?”
Kit kisses Eliza on her forehead. She feels so sad and inadequate for her husband and daughter. “I love you too. Sleep well, Ladybug.”
“Nite, Mama.”
When Kit leaves Eliza’s room, she finds Bobby on the couch, reading.
“You stay up as long as you want. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”
“You ok?”
“Yeah, just tired.”
“You’ve been ‘just tired’ more and more since Christmas. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m ok. I’m just tired. Goodnight, Bobby.”
“Goodnight. I’ll come to bed soon.”
Kit changes into her nightgown; it’s all she can do to even do that. She lies down in the bed and pulls the covers over her head. She doesn’t even try to get comfortable. She doesn’t say her nightly prayer. She just stares unseeing into the darkness. Sometime later, she falls into a restless and uneasy sleep. For the first time since Eliza was born, she relives that day in the clearing with Troy in her nightmares. When her nightmare wakes her, Bobby is asleep by her side, his hand on her hip. She wants so much to wake him and have him hold her, but she can’t. Somehow, she thinks it would be wrong to bother him with her sadness. She’s given him enough sadness already. She turns away from him and drifts back into a still uneasy sleep. ‘ (Monday, April, 26,2021, Franklin High School, 7 AM)
When Mark and Stacy get to school on Monday morning, they find all the high school students in the crew waiting for them. Their friends couldn’t help but notice all the trouble between them and are worried. Skyler and Sam are the first to speak.
“Are you guys ok?”
“We are now.”
“That’s a relief. We thought you guys might call it quits Friday!”
“Sky, I almost did. Mark saved us. My stupidity almost cost us everything.”
Skyler grabs Stacy’s left hand and pulls it up to look at her new engagement ring.
“Looks like y’all came a long way from almost breaking up! Tell!”
“Wait till lunch. I only want to tell the story once. The beginning sucks, but the ending’s a fairytale.”
“Yeah. Wish I could have the fairytale.”
“Give it time, Sky. We better get moving.”
At lunch, the high schoolers in the crew all sit at the same table. This bunch has become famous in the high school. Students, staff, and teachers alike all know that the crew is closer than family. It shows in everything about them. As a group, their grades completely blow the bell curve because they all work together to help each other. They don’t suffer from much of the normal teenage drama that most other students go through. They have their problems sometimes, but they support each other and deal with everything together. The handful of times a student or students have been stupid enough to mess with any of them, those students found themselves facing the whole group. They stand together, united, all the time. They are also well known for their willingness to help others, as long as those others don’t abuse the help. The other thing they are known for doesn’t make the school staff nearly so happy. Bobby and Kit Jones, two of the group’s five seniors, have been married since their freshman year and are the parents of a three year old daughter. Mark Marshall and Stacy Waters, two of the sophomores, have made no secret of their intention to marry as soon as the law will allow, a time which has now come. In the staff’s opinion, all of these students put far too much value on their relationships and not enough on their educations. More than once, that has caused some friction between the crew and the teachers. All in all though, the senior faculty have to admit that whatever these kids are doing, works.
Today, all talk is about Mark and Stacy’s weekend.
“...right in the middle of the dance floor, in front of everybody!?!”
“Yup. He was so damn smooth! I never saw any of it coming! He proposed to me on one knee while our song was playing! I had no idea he was going to do it!”
“So how long did the celebration last?”
“Still going. We plan to write the next chapter of that story tonight. Something tells me we’ll be celebrating for as long as we live. To answer your question though, we finally fell asleep around five o’clock Saturday morning. Sunday morning was the best part though. I woke up first for a change. Mark was still dead to the world and I got to enjoy the dawn, cuddled up to him under the covers while he slept. I felt so close to him then. It was like we were two parts of one person. It felt like God built Sunday morning around me. He outdid Himself when he painted the sky with the sunrise. I think I got a little taste of what Heaven is going to be like.”
“You are such a hopeless romantic. So when’s the party?”
“Not this weekend, but next weekend. This is a big kid party, so the littles all stay at home.”
“Which ones are you calling the littles?”
“Noah and Tabby are the cutoff. Joey is invited, but Tia will have to sit this one out. Double digit kids only.”
“Oh, it’s going to be one of THOSE parties!”
“Up at the cabin on the back forty. No booze and nobody gets stupid, but other than that, whatever happens, happens; and it stays there.”
“When you say ‘whatever’, do you mean whatever, whatever?”
“Sky, we’re your friends, not your folks or your boyfriend. You are seventeen years old and Sam’s eighteen; I think you two are old enough to make your own decisions and live with the consequences.”
“That’s a little judgemental, considering how you just told us you two went at it like rabbits all weekend!”
“I never said anything like that! I will say that Mark kept me well satisfied this weekend and he was definitely worth the wait. I will also say that knowing we will be married soon, makes our lovemaking much less of a concern, especially since I’m on birth control. We are completely committed to each other and we’re taking precautions to make sure we don’t become parents too soon.”
“So when’s the date?”
“Haven’t set an exact date yet. Mark told Craig June and I think that’s accurate. We both think it would be better all around if we wait for school to be out. It will be easier for our friends and family to be there with us, and we can do whatever we’re going to do for a honeymoon.”
“You mean we’re part of the reason you guys are putting off getting married!?!”
“Well yeah, Jess. You guys are family to us, even the ones who aren’t actual kin. We want to share one of the happiest days of our lives with the people we care about most. All of you helped us get here; we want you with us when we take this part of the trip too.”
“You going to take us along for the part after the reception?”
“No way in Hell. We’ll take some pictures and shoot an instructional video for you Sam, so you can maybe figure out what to do with Skyler.”
“Mark, that wasn’t one damn bit funny!”
“It wasn’t meant to be. You, me, and Bobby need to have a long talk without our girls around.”
“HEY!”
“Sky, he’s right. If they’re going to talk about what I think they will, they can talk more openly and honestly without us. You and I will never know what is said in that conversation, and I have no intention to even ask. Leave it alone.”
“Who’s side are you on?”
“This time, yours. Listen to me for a change! Maybe you, me, and Kit need to have a talk too.”
“Maybe this is a better idea than I thought. When?”
“Let’s do it at the party. We can make some time Friday night for it; the other guys will understand. We’ll have the official engagement party on Saturday.”
“Fine. How do we want to do this? Most of us are a little short to afford gas to get there.”
“We’ll meet in the parking lot early Friday. Everybody bring your stuff. We’ll drive one of the vans in that day and we can all ride together back home. We’ll all ride back in together on Monday and everybody can go back home Monday afternoon like you normally do, so don’t forget to bring clothes for school too.”
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Post by chillychick on Mar 20, 2018 5:45:23 GMT -6
Thank you!!!!
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Post by headlesshorseman on Mar 20, 2018 7:23:11 GMT -6
Thank you for the new chapter.
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Post by cutter on Mar 20, 2018 7:37:27 GMT -6
Chillychick! Good to see you again. Ok, here's the next chapter. There's a paraphrase from Hunt for Red October in here. I poked a little more fun at Tom Cruise and and Top Gun. There's also a little poke at the Vietnam era CIA. Two of the brothers save the day, Kit gets a dose of reality, and Eliza has been hanging around with Auntie Stacy too much. Our newest troublemaker is coming in chapter 11 and I have no idea how that's going to go, but from what I have already on virtual paper, I think things are going to start off really rocky. Oh yeah, Kit and Stacy are messing with Mark again. Please enjoy.
Chapter 10
The rest of the week was a lot of fun for Mark and Stacy. Betty, Joey, and Tia took up residence in three of the spare bedrooms for the week. The supper meal was a family affair each night at Larry and Erin’s place. Being in the middle, it was the logical place for the four households to meet. It wasn’t planned that way, but the younger kids and the littles decided that the whole family should get together for supper so they could play together. A couple of those nights, Todd and Sarah brought their three kids over and Doc and his family even came. It felt a lot like old times. Mark and Stacy even found a little time for themselves each night. All in all, it was a very good week.
Thursday afternoon saw the return of power to all affected areas as the damaged substation was fully repaired. It was determined that one of the transformers had developed a leak and bled off the coolant oil it contained, leading it to a catastrophic failure. The engineers decided that failure is what caused the shrapnel that breached the second transformer and caused it to fail the same way. There was too much blast damage to determine how the leak occurred. Friday morning, a very agitated Betty walking into the Rubycon office.
“Betty, you look like you’re mad enough to spit nails. What’s the matter?”
“Trent called while I was on my way back. The damn terrorists are at it again. He said all flights in and out of Vegas are canceled. From the sounds of it, they did a cyber attack on the major airlines and FAA computer systems. He can’t get home!”
“Hang on a minute.”
(Morgan dials her cell phone)
“Yeah, Morgan?”
“Todd, can you come up to my office? We have a problem you might be able to fix.”
“On my way now.” (Click)
“What’s Todd going to do?”
“He may go get Trent and bring him home.”
“How?”
“He’s a pilot.”
“But I just told you, nothing’s flying!”
“What’s up, Morgan?”
“Did you hear about the cyber attack on the FAA?”
“Yeah, real pain in the ass for travelers.”
“Trent’s stuck in Vegas; any way you could fly up and bring him home?”
“If North Vegas airport is operating without it’s tower, which it probably is, I could fly in there and pick him up. All he has to do is get there. I can’t leave until this afternoon though, unless his safety is compromised.”
“He said he’s safe, just stuck.”
“Ok, I’ll file a flight plan today for departure about 4:30. It’s going to be a long flight, so I need to talk to Mark first.”
“Mark? Why do you need to talk to Mark?”
“Betty, I need a co-pilot. The round trip flight will be about ten and a half hours air time with more on the ground for pickup and refuel. My plane doesn’t have enough fuel capacity to make the trip without refueling. After a full day working and going to school, neither one of us can safely pilot the whole trip. Mark can use the cross country hours anyway.”
“Mark knows how to fly?”
“He has all the same certifications I do, except his instructor’s certs. He can’t hold his full license until he turns seventeen, but he’s as good a pilot as I am. Just so you know, Stacy isn’t doing bad either. Callie’s coming along nicely too.”
“Where are you going to get a plane?”
“The hanger on the back forty. We cut in a twenty-five hundred foot grass strip two years ago and built a hanger for me. I own the plane.”
“Trent and I can’t afford the fuel for this, Todd.”
“Don’t worry about it; Mark and I both need the stick time. Let me send him a text.”
Mark, need a co-pilot tonight to retrieve Trent. One fuel stop Vegas and back. Want to come?
Stand by.
“He’ll call me or text me between classes. I’ll take a long lunch and go up and prep the plane. Betty, I’ll text you with the arrival time when I get the flight plan done. Call Trent when I get it to you and tell him to be at the North Vegas Airport by then. How heavy is he travelling?”
“He only took one suitcase and one hanging bag, maybe fifty pounds of baggage.”
“That’s easy, nowhere near our cargo capacity. Betty, your husband will be home tomorrow before lunch.”
Thank you, Todd. What will you do if Mark can’t go?”
“I’ll fly with Stacy or have you watch the kids and I’ll take Sarah. If all else fails, I’ll plan layovers and we won’t get home until tomorrow night, but he’ll be home Saturday.”
“I don’t know what to say; thank you doesn’t cover this.”
Betty, it’s what we do; haven’t you learned that by now?”
“Yeah, but it still overwhelms me sometimes. Thanks again, Todd. I need to go help Teri with the kids.”
(Franklin High School, Lunch)
“You sure you’re ok with me going tonight, Love?”
“Of course I am. I like to fly, but you just come alive in the cockpit; you love it. Betty and the kids are staying until Trent gets back, so I’ll have plenty of help with the littles. You and Todd go bring Trent home to us; that’s important to me. Just be ready when you get home; I’m going to miss you in our bed tonight. When you get home, I intend to spoil you. I’m thinking some breakfast, then a nice soak and massage in the garden tub before I put you to bed for a while. You and I might have to saddle up Saturday afternoon and take a little ride to some out of the way place too.”
“Sounds like a really nice homecoming. One problem, we can’t leave the littles alone.”
“One way or another, we’ll manage something. Worst case, I use a couple of pillows and just try to stay quiet. I bet Jordan and Noah and their girls will take the littles to the playground for a while for us.”
“Now that’s an idea. Can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure, Love.”
“Will you ride up front with Bobby on the way home today? I need to talk to Kit.”
“Sure. Maybe you can help her see sense.”
“I don’t know how I can do any better than Bobby, but I have to try.”
“I love you.”
“What brought that on?”
“Just because you’re you. We owe Kit a lot. Mark, I couldn’t have come down those stairs Friday if it hadn’t been for her. You saved us, but she got me there for you to do it.”
“Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?.”
“Mark, I was going to end us Friday night. I thought you didn’t love me anymore and were just holding on because you didn’t want to admit we were over. I love you more than I know how to tell you or show you. My heart was breaking because I thought I had to set you free. I couldn’t stand to keep you if you didn’t want me anymore, but the thought of letting you go was killing me. Until you held me in your arms so tight and said what you did, I thought it was what I had to do, but I would rather die than let you go. I don’t know if I could have done it, no matter how Friday had gone. I was so afraid to walk out my door and down those stairs because I didn’t know if I could do what I knew I had to do. Kit pretty much pushed me out of my bedroom.”
“She knew what was going on. Our girl did a really good job of maneuvering both of us, me with the truth and you with half the truth. I never thanked you for coming down those stairs and giving me a chance either.”
“You did. Love, you’re marrying me; that’s thanks enough for everything, for all time. Taking care of each other is a full time job for both of us now, as if it wasn’t before.”
“As long as you keep thinking like that, we’ll be fine. I love you. We need to get this stuff put away so we won’t be late to Bauer’s class.”
“I love you too. Let’s do it.”
Meanwhile, back at the Rubycon office, Todd’s talking to Betty, Morgan, and Erin.
“Ok, I talked to Mark. He’s going to stop by the house here when he gets in from school to pick up his flight bag and change clothes. We go wheels up at 4:30 PM with arrival at North Las Vegas airport approximately 10:15 PM Central time. Trent needs to be there and ready to go when we get there. He should be at the airport by 7:30 PM Local time in Las Vegas. I’m not being hard to get along with, it’s just that Mark and I will both be racing the clock to get back in the air and get home before we run out of steam. We should be wheels down on the back forty between 3:30 AM and 4:30 AM tomorrow. Stacy said she’d ride up to pick us up and you can stay at the house with the kids. Why don’t y’all stay the weekend, or at least the night.”
“I don’t want to put Mark and Stacy out.”
“Under the circumstances, I think they’d understand; especially since they’re the ones who suggested it. Al and Roni, Noah and Tabby, and Jordan and Sherry are staying with them this weekend anyway.”
“Todd, with all those kids, they don’t have enough bedrooms!”
“Mark has it covered. He said y’all should stay in the hand’s apartment with your kids. He mentioned something about possibly taking all the kids to the fire pit Saturday night too. Trent’s going to be tired, so you might as well plan on staying.”
“We’ll stay tonight so Trent can get some rest. We’ll see about Saturday.”
“You and Stacy can work that out however you want. All I know or care about right now is that me and Mark are in the air in four hours and we have a cooler with food in it to take with us.”
“I’ll make sure that happens. If you want anything special, tell me and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.”
“Morgan, you have a key to their house, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“If you don’t have any of Mom’s coffee, somebody needs to go over there and get a can out of their kitchen. I want four thermos bottles of it on that plane. As far as food, sandwiches that we won’t wear and some fruit are good choices. If we have some oranges, that would be perfect.”
“Won’t wear? And why are you so specific on oranges?”
“We are going to be sitting in a cockpit, flying a plane in the dark while we’re eating. Ham is good; tuna salad is bad. If you can’t eat it without getting it on you while driving down the interstate, you can’t do it while flying either. Oranges have a lot of natural sugars, apples and pears would be my next choice. They will give us a short energy boost if we need it. A couple of candy bars or especially hard candy wouldn’t hurt my feelings either. They give an energy boost and a morale boost too; not to mention I just like candy. We’ve both been up since four this morning; we’re going to need every edge we can get to beat the sun here tomorrow morning. Pack enough for Trent too.”
“Can you land on that strip in the dark?”
“It’s a challenge without lights, but we can do it. Stacy said she’d be there early enough to turn the runway lights on for us. I’ll send her a text when we’re an hour out. We put the lights in last year.”
Todd, I want you boys to be safe. If you’re too tired, put it on the ground and get some sleep.”
“Morgan, Mark and I both like doing aerobatics, but there won’t be any on this run. We’re straight and level all the way. We’ve logged enough flight time together that we know what to look for in each other to spot fatigue. If we just absolutely have to, we’ll put her down and sleep on the plane. Don’t worry, Mark and I both are fairly conservative pilots when it counts. Both of us can fly like fighter pilots; we just usually don’t.”
“Ok, I’m making an executive decision. Todd, you’re off for the rest of the day. Whatever you’re working on can wait for Bobby tonight or it can wait till Monday. Did you get the plane prepped?”
“All she’s waiting for is for Mark and me to do our preflight and turn the key.”
“Good, go home and try to get a little sleep. Mark can catch a nap early in the flight.”
“Morgan, that will put Mark flying in the dark! He can’t do that!”
“Actually Betty, yes he can. Mark’s instrument rated and has about sixty hours of night flying. You give that man a stopwatch, compass, altimeter, and an accurate enough map; he can fly through the Alps in a plane with no windows. I wouldn’t be taking him if he wasn’t up to the job.”
“I should have known. Are Stacy and Callie that good?”
“Not yet. Stacy’s almost there. Callie hasn’t had enough stick time to really feel comfortable with the airplane. Mark is a confident and conscientious pilot, but he has a few unique attributes. He doesn’t do things with an aircraft just to see if he and it can. He loves aerobatics to the point that he’s even made me nervous a few times, but he knows his and his aircraft’s limits and pays attention to them. Mark’s not exactly fearless, but he’s not afraid of demanding everything out of himself and his aircraft that they have, if he feels he needs to. Mark is a natural, instinctive pilot. Not to sound hokey, but when he takes the controls, he is one with the aircraft. Mark knows what’s going on with his airplane by how the stick feels in his hands and the sounds the wind, engine, and airframe make. I simulated an airspeed indicator and altimeter failure on him once by covering both instruments on his side. I still had both on my side. He safely landed the aircraft without them. You ought to go up with us sometime, just eat lightly for breakfast.”
“I’ll think about it. Go try to get some sleep.”
“Alright. Morgan, call me at three to wake me up.”
“Will do it. Goodnight, sort of.”
(Friday, April 30, 2018, Marshall homestead 3:15 PM)
Todd pulls up in his Jeep just as Mark’s walking out of Brian and Morgan’s house. Both men are wearing black flight suits and USAF optional wear brown leather flight jackets. Both men are wearing Air America ball caps and mirrored aviator sunglasses. Name tags sewn to the left breast of both flight jackets bear the two men’s callsigns. Todd’s reads “Reaper” and Mark’s reads “Wraith”. As the two meet up, Stacy and Kit both wolf whistle.
“Lover, Tom Cruise has got nothin’ on you two!”
“That wannabe couldn’t handle his stick with both hands and instructions! We’re the real deal. Get over here and kiss us for luck.”
Stacy and Kit catch Todd with kisses on both cheeks at the same time. Todd just laughs and gives both girls a hug. Stacy gives Mark a fairly passionate kiss. When she’s done, Kit surprises everybody and gives Mark an equally passionate kiss.
“Holy shit! What the Hell was that for!?!”
“I’ve only owed you that kiss since Bobby and I got married; I had to pay interest on it. I still think he’s a better kisser.”
“I hope to Hell so! Anastasia, I didn’t do it!”
Stacy starts laughing uncontrollably. She finally manages to get the words out.
“Relax Stud; you’re not in trouble. Want us to give you a twofer to see if it’s any better?”
“NO!”
“Both of you, quit screwing with my co-pilot! He’s already going to have his head in the clouds, but it needs to be behind the controls! Come on Romeo; we’re wheels up in an hour or less.”
Mark grabs Stacy in a hug.
“When I get back, you’re going to pay for that.”
“I truly hope so, Lover. Straight and level and come back safe to me. I love you.”
“I love you too. Keep a candle burning for me, to help us find our way home.”
“I promise.”
“Todd, let’s get in the air.”
Todd and Mark get in Todd’s Jeep and drive back to the airstrip. When they get there, they do their walkaround and preflight checks. Once they are done, Todd yells out the pilot’s side door. “CONTACT!” He hits the starter and the engine comes to life. He taxis to the end of the grass strip and sets the brakes. He runs the throttle up to full, waits thirty seconds, and releases the brakes. They roar down the runway and leave the Earth behind.
“Damn, I love max performance takeoffs!”
“I know; that’s why I did it. I have the airplane. You kick back and try to get some sleep. Set an alarm for three hours so you can check on me. We’ll go from there.”
“Yessir, Captain Sir!”
“Don’t start. I work for a living.”
“Yeah, and right now, you’re the pilot in command. Wake me up if you get tired or need me.”
“Will do it. Sweet dreams.”
“After that kiss from Stacy, I’ll guarantee it.”
“What about the one from Kit?”
“Just wow, but not interested. Anastasia’s all I need. Night, Big Brother.”
“Night.”
Back at the farm, Kit and Stacy are talking.
“Think they’ll be ok?”
“Oh yeah. I’ll worry until Mark’s back in my arms, but they’ll be fine. They’re both great pilots and Todd’s downright anal about maintaining his aircraft.”
“I would’ve been a basket case if it was Bobby going.”
“Mark can’t afford that. I want him to come back safe to me. I need him paying attention to his flying, not worrying about me.”
“You’re really not upset that he went?”
“Kit, Trent’s family. Family’s everything.”
“You’re right. Let me get Eliza and I’ll come help you round up the herd and get them fed.”
“I’d appreciate that. Why don’t you pack Eliza a bag and she can stay too. She’d really enjoy spending the weekend with all the kids and you two can have the apartment to yourselves.”
“What good would it do? It’s not like I can give Bobby a child.”
“Dammit Kit! Are you still beating that dead horse!?! You gave Bobby a daughter already! He doesn’t care about before; just that you and Eliza are his now!”
“Dammit! Mama listen Auntie Stacy!”
“What did you say!?!”
A scared Eliza starts to tear up. “I sorry Mama! I no say bad word again! I sorry! Please, no spank!”
“No; Eliza, you’re not in trouble. What did you say?”
“Mama listen Auntie Stacy. I know Poppa not Daddy. Poppa love me. Poppa love Mama. Mama, me, Poppa’s.”
“You know Poppa isn’t your father? Who told you that?”
“Mama tell Poppa. I hear. Please no spank!”
Kit scoops Eliza up and settles her on her hip. Kit cuddles her and nuzzles her. She never wanted Eliza to know the whole truth so soon. It breaks her heart that her little Ladybug has that weight on her. It hurts her to her very soul that she’s the one who laid that weight on her little girl’s heart.
“I’m sorry, Ladybug. I never meant for you to know this so young. Poppa loves you.”
“It ok. I know Poppa love me. Poppa MY Poppa!”
“Yes he is, Ladybug. Yes he is.”
“Sister, if you won’t listen to anybody else, listen to your daughter. She knows and doesn’t care. Wait, that’s not true. She cares very much that Bobby’s her Poppa.”
“Yes, Mama. Poppa my Poppa. I loves Poppa bunches.”
“Amazing what a strong, loving family can do to ease the hurts in life, isn’t it?”
“I know that too well. I’m alive today because of this family. I have my husband and daughter because of this family. That’s not really the point.”
“No, the point is that y’all have to wait a while yet, but your little family of three will change the lives of some of us. You three will take children who are what we were into your home and this family, and make them into what you and I are now. I don’t know if you still remember what it was like to be a foster, but I do. Even with Mom and Dad, it was a God awful feeling before they adopted me and the boys. I think it was the not knowing if the family you loved today was still going to be your family tomorrow. Until Greg made our adoptions final, the state could have taken us away from everything we knew at any time and for any reason, even no reason at all. They could have taken all of this away from us and there would have been absolutely nothing we could have done about it. In three years, you and Bobby will take your first adopted child out of harm’s way. That child might be the only one you save, but you will have saved one. That child and Eliza will be uncertain about each other for a while, then they’ll become friends, then they’ll become siblings. Look at us; we’re sisters, but we’re not related at all by blood. We’re only related by marriage because we were adopted by sisters. When you two adopt, the bond Eliza will share with her new sibling will be at least as strong as ours is, if not stronger. Think about this too; Eliza will be almost six when you can adopt. If you adopt a child around her age, they’ll have a great adventure, learning each other. Remember how we were?” “We were already sisters when I came here.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know that because you and Kat didn’t tell me. That feeling has only gotten stronger for me over the last four years.”
“For me too.”
“It’s after five; screw this. Let’s see if your Mom has something we can just fix quick at your fire pit. Sarah’s going to be here soon with Terrell. I just have a feeling we need to be here for that.”
“You think there’s going to be trouble?”
“I hope not, but if he’s looking for some, I’m hoping that numbers will keep him in line. He doesn’t know what we know about fighting. I would really hate to see the boy stomped into the back yard on his first day.”
“And I used to think you were such a sweet girl.”
“I am, just like you are; and just like you, I’m Death and Hell and all things vicious if someone messes with the family. Our family did both of us a favor when they took us in, not the other way around; he’s no different. He can make good on the chance we’re giving him or not. If he wants trouble, I will personally kick his sorry ass all the way back to Louisville and still be home in time to light up the landing strip for Todd and Mark in the morning! It’s bad up there, Kit. People died this winter because they couldn’t afford to heat their homes, if they even had a home to live in. The homeless shelters up there were overrun; they couldn’t fit anybody else in. The news said something like fifty homeless people froze to death up there this winter. You heard Micah; his Dad asked for his old job back and they came back here because the price of food up there was sky high in the stores, when the stores even had food worth buying! You remember he said the gangs had gotten so bad that they took their lives in their own hands every time they went anywhere. I’m just glad Steve left his old job on good terms. They hired him back and even managed to pay him a little more than when he left. Whether he realizes it or not, Terrell does NOT want to go back there.”
“If he doesn’t know already, I hope he catches on quick just how good he’ll have it here. We stayed warm and dry all winter and had plenty to eat; I even gained about five pounds!”
“I’d sure like to know where! Kit, you look like a supermodel!”
“I’d look better than a supermodel if it wasn’t for the scars. I don’t look like a bag of bones.”
“True. Let’s get moving. We have nine hungry kids to feed.”
“Twelve, Mom should be back with Todd and Sarah’s bunch any minute.”
“Great! Let’s just save some time and haul the whole fridge up to the fire pit.”
“I have a better Idea. Let’s just use Mom’s kitchen; we can fix for them too.”
“You’re right; that’s a better idea. Let’s get busy.”
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Post by gipsy on Mar 20, 2018 9:49:23 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by biggkidd on Mar 20, 2018 11:23:47 GMT -6
Terrorists and a flight to vegas. Is the trouble going to be man made or mechanical? Wandering minds want to know! LOL
Thanks Cutter
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Post by cutter on Mar 20, 2018 12:48:38 GMT -6
In a couple of chapters, you will. You're welcome.
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Post by papaof2 on Mar 20, 2018 14:59:34 GMT -6
Terrorists and a flight to vegas. Is the trouble going to be man made or mechanical? Wandering minds want to know! LOL Thanks Cutter Why would you limit it to just one or the other? Why not both plus bad weather? ;-)
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Post by 9idrr on Mar 20, 2018 20:33:05 GMT -6
If'n you're doin' this to us now, cutter, in Volume 3, you'll have us limp as dishrags by Volume 10. Thanks for what you've written so far.
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Post by cutter on Mar 22, 2018 21:45:33 GMT -6
Well, I said it looked like Terrell's "homecoming" was going to be rough; looks like I was right. The wisecrack Todd made to Trent about Mark's flying ability really happened. It's what my Dad told my stepmother when she asked if I could do that when he handed control off to me of the plane we were flying in, back in 1984; I was 14 at the time. Mom was NOT a fan of flying. Good times. Also, I know it's hard to tell, but Stacy is a little irritated in this chapter. Please enjoy.
Chapter 11
Sarah showed up with Terrell right in the middle of supper. Kit, Stacy, and twelve kids had turned into thirty-three people. Jamie and his girlfriend, Doc and his family, Betty, Bobby, Cheryl and her daughter, Erika and Skyler, Larry and Erin, Todd and Sarah’s kids, and a few others all decided to take the girls up on their invitation to stay and eat. The counters and a table in the summer kitchen were piled high with burgers, pork chops, chicken, fries, baked beans, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and all kinds of other food. If anybody left hungry, it was their own fault.
Sarah and Terrell walked into an eating, talking, laughing group of very happy kids and adults. The atmosphere was festive, a real party. Sarah desperately needed the lift to her spirits. The ride out with Terrell was not a happy one. Terrell’s attitude the whole way was sullen and combative. For his part, Terrell looked belligerent and furious.
“Shit! Gonna’ dump me in the middle of nowhere with a bunch o’ inbred crackers!”
“Terrell, I hate to tell you, but your other choice is prison. Is that what you want? Would you rather spend the next five years of your life in Luther Luckett? I’m sure a handsome young man like you would make a lot of friends amongst the inmates.”
“I’d make ‘em all my bitches! Cain’t nobody take me!”
“I’ll warn you one time and one time only. Anybody here over the age of ten can and will take you if you give them reason. You lay a hand on any one of these people and they will jerk you up and stomp your juvenile delinquent ass so deep into the carpet it’ll take a backhoe to get you out, and everybody in this county will believe it when they say you tripped and fell. These people are willing to give you a chance to make something of yourself, other than a felon; what you do with that chance is up to you. Now, do you stay here and behave, or do I take you to the sheriff’s office for transfer to LaGrange?”
“I’ll stay. Bitch.”
“You cuss me again and I’ll knock you on your ass.”
“You cain’t touch me. I’s a kid.”
“She can’t, but I can kick your ass and then bitch slap you all the way back to Louisville, and get away with it. Hi, Sarah.”
“Hey, Stacy. Thanks for that. Terrell, this is Stacy Waters. Stacy, Terrell James.”
“Welcome to Marshall’s Rest Farm, Terrell. If you’re hungry, we have plenty of food. We’d be glad if you’d join us. Why don’t you go grab a plate and see if you can find something you like. Sarah, why don’t you stay for supper too. Todd and Mark are already in the air and your kids are all on their second plate.”
“Thanks, I think I will. Terrell, you coming?”
“Might as well; ain’t like I gonna’ get no decent food.”
“Hey! Me and your foster sister cooked this meal. Put your damn attitude in your pocket for a while and try it before you turn your nose up at it! Now, you can come eat or stand here like a damn fool and starve, your choice.”
“Whatever!”
Stacy knows Kit’s watching their backs, so she takes Sarah’s arm and turns both their backs on Terrell as she guides her old friend and former CPS caseworker to the summer kitchen and supper.
“Come on, I fixed mashed potatoes and white gravy just for you.”
“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble!”
“It’s no trouble; I know it’s your favorite. You’ve done a lot for me over the years, and you’re family too. With Todd gone, I thought you could use a little nice in your day.”
“I hope he and Mark don’t run into any trouble.”
“They’ll be fine. Even if they do, they can handle it. Reaper and Wraith can handle anything together.”
“Did they really wear those jackets?”
“Yup, and their Air America ball caps and mirrored sunglasses. They looked damn sexy in ‘em too. I don’t know about Todd, but Mark’s going to have a busy day tomorrow, after he gets some much needed sleep.”
“I intend to make Todd forget who he is when he gets back; he can sleep after I’m done with him.”
“Going for number four?”
“Maybe. Let’s go eat. We girls need to be big and strong when our men get home.”
When Terrell finally walks into the summer kitchen, he can’t believe his eyes. He’s a Victory Park Crip, so he’s got a reputation to keep, but there’s more food in this place than he saw in a month in Louisville! It all smells so good! He figures these crackers only have it so good because they cheated him and the brothas, so he’s going to get all he can. He starts loading a plate with enough food for three people.”
“Hold on there, friend. You don’t have to take enough for a week; nobody’s going to take it away from you. Why don’t you eat what you have. If you want some more, you can always come back. If we run out, which isn’t likely, we’ll make more if you’re still hungry.”
The man talking to him looks like a mountain. This guy is pretty young, maybe nineteen or twenty, but he’s at least six foot two and goes at least two hundred pounds! His arms are as big around as Terrell’s head and all muscle. The inbred hick has a wedding ring on his hand! From the dumb, redneck look on his face, Terrell figures he isn’t too bright.
“What’sa matter? ‘Fraid a brotha’ gonna’ eat all you food?”
“No, I’m afraid you’re going to waste food because your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Not a single person here will let you go away hungry, unless you do it to yourself. Simple rule about food around here; take what you want but eat what you take. Whatever is left of all this will get divided up between the households for leftovers so nothing gets wasted. We work too hard to grow this food to throw it away.”
“Bullshit, grows it! This shit come from the sto’”
“No, most everything you see here was grown on this farm. While I’m at it, I’d advise you to save some room for dessert. Stacy has pies and a couple cobblers in the oven.”
“What the hell’s a cobbler?”
“Kind of like a cross between a cake and a pie. Really, save some room; you’ll be glad you did. If you still want more, it’ll all be here until everybody has had all they want. We work hard around here for it, but we always eat good and have plenty.”
Terrell just walks away and finds a place in the corner, mostly away from everybody. Stacy notices, but doesn’t say anything.
(...)
Terrell doesn’t want to admit it, but the stupid redneck was right; he’s so full, he’s about to be sick. He sees that blond bitch, Stacy he thinks her name is, walking over with a tray.
“Did you save some room for dessert, Terrell? I don’t know what you like, so I brought some of everything for you to pick from. I have apple, cherry, and blueberry pie, and peach and blackberry cobbler. Pick a couple.”
“Wha’chu mean a couple?”
“I mean take any two. If you still want more after that, you can always get more of what you had or try something else. Terrell, I’m trying here. We want you to feel welcome and wanted. We all want you to feel like you belong here, but your attitude won’t go far with us.” Stacy sets the tray on the table and sits down.
“A lot of us here know what it is to be in the system. My two oldest brothers and I were fosters when we came here. Our parents were killed in a terrorist attack on their anniversary, four years ago. Mom and Dad fostered us because CPS split us up into two foster homes; they later adopted us. See that big guy and his wife over there? His name’s Bobby; that’s his Mom beside him and his wife’s on his other side; her name is Kit. His father threw him out of their house when he started dating her. Your foster parents took him in so he didn’t have to live on the street. His Dad threw his Mom and brother and sister out when his Mom wouldn’t turn her back on him. The couple who are fostering you backed Bobby up when he took his Mom, brother, and sister into his home here, to keep them off the street. Kit was a foster too. Your foster parents took her in, and later adopted her, after her twin sister was killed four years ago in another terrorist attack on our middle school. My fiance organized the rescue that saved all three of us and almost two hundred other students and school staff. Terrell, I know what it is to be in the damn system. Most of them don’t care about us. Sarah’s different; she fought for me and my brothers, and Kit. You’re here because she argued hard for Brian and Morgan to take you in. She wants you to have a fair chance to succeed and make something of yourself, other than a gang member who will end up in prison or dead. We all want that for you too, but you have to want it for yourself. We can’t help you if you won’t let us. You and I started off all wrong. How about we start over? I’m Stacy Waters.
“Yeah, and I’s yo’ pet nig.”
“No, you’re not! Forget it! You want to be like that, well piss on you! When you think you can act like a decent human being, let me know!” Stacy stands up and storms away, leaving the tray. It isn’t an accident; she didn’t forget it. She’s royally ticked off and is proving a point; angry or not, she and the family will try their best to do right by him. She storms outside.
“Hey Sis, what’s wrong?”
“Jordan, I’m about to go back in there and kick that stupid, racist son of a bitch’s ass straight back to Louisville! I’m just trying to make him feel welcome and wanted and that asshole’s just being plain rude! Piss on him! That bastard gives me half a reason and I’ll send him straight to Hell!”
“Whoa Sis, calm down! It’s been a long time, but I seem to remember you being a pretty nasty piece of work the first day we came here too. You were a world class bitch to Mom.”
“I wasn’t that bad!”
“Oh yes you were. You screamed and cussed Mom after she was nothing but good to us and then tore out to the house. That was after Mom all but threatened to beat our first caseworker. Noah and I both thought she was going to hunt you down and kill you, and then kill you again! I’m not impressed with him either, but give him some time.”
“Time!?! Jessica never treated us like this! She’s black and she doesn’t give a tinker’s damn what color we are! She’s not even a foster or actual family, and she treats all of us like we’re all second cousin to Jesus! It started off bad with all that shit with Troy, but she’s one of us now! I don’t know what this asshole’s problem is, but he better get over it damn fast! He’s NOT gonna’ treat us this way!”
“Sis, Jess was raised different. She’s country and has been all her life. This guy’s a gang member and a city kid. He’s had to fight for his life ever since he was born! You’re my sister; I know how you are. Have some patience and give the guy some time.”
“Time!?! Bobby wasn’t like this when he came here and he was a real ass!”
“Bobby did his time before he came here. That deal with you and Mark at Boomer’s cost him all his fake friends and made him see reality. By the time he got to us, he’d already lost everything and had figured it out! Bobby had Kit too. This guy doesn’t have anybody. He doesn’t know anything else!”
“If you’re so on his side, why don’t you have him move in with you!?!”
“If it’ll help him, he’s welcome to share a room with me. Look Sis, if he tries to hurt somebody in this family, I’ll put him down like a rabid dog, but he deserves the same chance Mom and Dad gave us.”
“He’s got it! From what I’m seeing, he’s screwing it up from the get go! Maybe Mark was right! Maybe we shouldn’t have taken his sorry ass!”
“Sis, you give him attitude like that, and he’ll never be any different. Come on, you’re better than this. Give the guy a chance.”
“Fine! One chance!”
“Anastasia, you sit down right here and I’m going to bring you some chamomile tea. Maybe it will calm you down. Speaking of which, can I trust you to keep that pistol holstered?”
“I’m not going to shoot him; the stupid bastard isn’t worth the bullet!”
“Damn, you are pissed!”
“Yes! I! Am!”
“Sit down. Do not go back inside; no good can come of it. I’ll be right back.”
Jordan goes inside and finds Kit and Bobby.
“Guys, I’m going to make Stacy some tea. Will you two PLEASE go outside and sit with her? Try to calm her down before she does something Terrell will regret.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“He red royally pissed her off! Just between us, I’m a little surprised he’s still alive right now.”
“Yeah, we’ll take care of it. Thanks for the heads up.”
“It wouldn’t look good for a foster kid to end up in the wood chipper the first day he was here.”
“She’s that mad?”
“Madder. She’s already talking about sealing his fate.”
“Oh Hell. We’re gone.”
Kit, Bobby, Sherry, and Jordan kept Stacy and Terrell separated for the rest of the night. After supper was over and people started going home, Brian andMorgan showed Terrell his room.
“I hope this is alright. You and I will go into town tomorrow and pick up some things to make it your own. You need some clothes and other things anyway. You have your own bathroom right through that door. The other door locks from the bathroom side, so you have privacy. There’s a toothbrush and toothpaste in there, a fresh bar of soap,and clean towels. Do you need anything else?”
“Yeah, I needs to go home to my boyz.”
“We don’t know what to say to that. Terrell, I hate it that life has done you the way it has, but we want to try to help make it better for you. Brian and I need your help to do that. We can’t send you back to Louisville, and we won’t turn you out on your own. Please, help us help you.”
“Whatever.”
“Well, you know where our bedroom is if you need us. Don’t think twice about waking us up if you do need us. Goodnight Terrell, and welcome home.”
“This ain’t my home. You just gonna’ send me back like all them other crackers did.”
“No we won’t, unless you give us absolutely no other choice; but you won’t believe it until you see it for yourself. Really Terrell, we want you here. Give us a chance. Goodnight.”
Brian and Morgan leave the bedroom that was, until last week, Mark’s. Morgan thinks how Erin stayed in that same room, and Larry with her, until they moved into the old Marywether place, and how Mark came back to reclaim it until he and Stacy got engaged, and how Kit slept there the first night she came to the family. Morgan says a little prayer that the room will bring Terrell the same luck it seems to have brought the last four people who have slept in it. Brian and Morgan go to their bedroom and get ready for bed.
“What do you think, Brian?”
“I don’t know. Terrell has so damn much anger! That boy’s mad at the world and everybody in it! I’ll be honest; we’ll give it everything we have, but I don’t know if we can help him.”
“Brian, I don’t want to give up on him. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about him, under all the anger, that I think I see. I really want to help him. I really think there’s a good man in there somewhere; I just hope we can find him and bring him out.”
“He crosses Stacy again like he did tonight and he’s liable to be a dead man. I don’t know if I have ever seen that girl that mad.”
“Then you weren’t paying attention when Troy did what he did to Kit or when we wouldn’t listen to her when Mark rode off alone into the woods. She actually cussed me over the deal with Mark.”
“I can understand that; Mark’s her man. She’s never going to fall in love with and marry Terrell.”
“No, but we’ve seen our kids pull off some pretty impressive miracles, putting people back together. I hope they can do it again with him.”
“So do I. Has anybody heard from Todd and Mark?”
“Yeah, Stacy said Mark called. She said he was about to take over for Todd and they were somewhere over New Mexico. She said he told her the flight has been uneventful so far.”
“Good, I hope it stays that way. I worry about my brothers.”
“I know you do. Brian, they’re both good pilots; they’ll be ok.”
“It’s not their ability I’m worried about. When they’re at altitude, they’re pretty safe, short of somebody with a ground to air missile. I’m worried about when they land and take off in Vegas. They’re low to the ground then and committed to flight or landing. They’re vulnerable to gunfire.”
“Brian, it’s in God’s hands; don’t borrow trouble. Love, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you do. Come to bed. Come to bed and let me hold you like you’ve done for me so many times. Let me try to comfort you.”
“Does it ever work when I do that?”
“Always. It doesn’t take it all away, but it helps me get through it. I’ve avoided a lot of sleepless nights because your arms were around me. Let me return the favor.”
“Alright. I love you.”
“I know. I love you too.”
While Morgan tries to bring Brian some peace, Terrell is finding out just how good he has it, but is too wound up in his ‘reputation’ to see it for what it is. He almost falls asleep while he’s in the shower, it feels so good. The last foster home he was in was so tight with money that they kept the heat turned down to sixty degrees and had all but turned the hot water heater off. They would only let him spend ten minutes in the shower, not that he wanted to be in the cold water even that long. He loves the fact that he doesn’t freeze his butt off when he gets out and drys off. When he crawls into bed, the mattress is firm enough to support him, but not hard as a rock. The sheets are soft and clean and smelled fresh, not stiff and rough, with that antiseptic smell like in the jail. He has enough room to get comfortable, unlike the narrow bunks at his last foster home or the jail. Best of all, he has this big room and bed all to himself and isn’t hungry for the first time in he doesn’t remember how long. He goes to bed thinking it’s about time a brother got a break. He has no idea how much his life, and he, are going to change in the next few weeks. It’s amazing what a loving family and a good woman can do to straighten a guy out, but Terrell James has never had either one before.
(Friday, April 30, 2021, North Las Vegas Airport, 7:40 PST)
“Alright, that’s our clearance. Here we go.”
“Watch the crosswind Todd. Looks to be about fifteen knots at two-seven-zero.”
“I got it, flaps twenty.”
“Flaps twenty, altitude nine hundred and dropping at fifty, airspeed one hundred and falling.”
“At least they have the runway lights on. Flaps thirty.”
“Flaps thirty. Set. Those numbers are getting really big, Todd.”
“Scared?”
“Not likely. Put us on the deck.”
“In three, two, one, touchdown! We’re on the ground. Braking.”
“Nice, not even a little bounce. There’s our taxiway.”
“Got it. When we shut down, you stay on the plane. Take the left seat. As soon as we get Trent loaded and belted in, we’re in the air again.”
“I’ll be ready. There’s Trent, but who’s that with him?”
“I have no idea. Looks like they know each other. Doesn’t look like trouble. Ok, the engines are shut down and the brakes are set. I’m out; swap seats.”
“Yessir, Captain Sir!”
“Mark…”
“Oh, lighten up.”
“Munchkin, you are such a smart ass.”
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“I’ll be back.”
(...)
“What’s the deal?”
“This is Kent Ellis. He works with Trent.”
“Want a lift, Kent?”
“That’s the idea. Aren’t you a little young to be in the pilot’s seat?”
“Probably; Reaper just asked me if I wanted to fly tonight. I read a book about it once, I promise.”
“Please tell me he’s not serious.”
“Oh, he’s seriously flying us out of here, and he’s read several books about flying. Don’t worry, he’s a good pilot.”
“Are you a pilot?”
“I’m a pilot and his flight instructor. I trust him. If you want to get home this weekend, you will too.”
Kent, relax. I’ve flown with both of these guys before. I asked the same question you did the first time I went up with Mark at the controls. At least the answer you got was better than the one Todd gave me.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That Mark hadn’t crashed in at least a week. We’re in good hands. Buckle in; I want to get home to my wife and kids.”
“I’m in.”
“Ok Mark, I’m strapped in. Fire this bitch up and take us home. Wait a minute. Let me make a call and see if they’re selling fuel. (...) Mark, taxi over to the pumps. We’ll take on a full load and fly nonstop.”
“Taxiing, and don’t cuss the old girl; she’s our ride home.
After topping off the tanks and getting taxi and takeoff clearance, Mark taxis to the runway. He stops short on the taxiway and does an engine runup. After thirty seconds, he throttles back and takes the runway. He says one word over the radio,“Rolling!”, and pushes the throttles steadily to full. When they’re in the air, Mark calls over his shoulder.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“So bad as what! You think this is an F-16!?!”
“Nah, we can turn inside an F-16 and stay in the air a lot longer. You guys can unpucker your butts now; we’re straight and level all the way. Next stop, home.”
Todd talks to Mark over the intercom so the guys in back can’t hear.
“Kent thinks that was scary, wait till he sees the strip at home.”
“Maybe we ought to give him a diaper and a barf bag.”
“Mark, you’re terrible.”
“You were thinking it.”
“But you actually said it. When we get out of controlled airspace, push the throttle and let’s make up some time.”
“Only too happy to. I have a fiance at home I want to snuggle.”
“I’ll see your fiance and raise you a wife and three kids.”
“Knowing you and Sarah, it may be four kids by the end of the weekend.”
“Like you and Stacy are any different.”
“We’ve got a house full of kids this weekend. Besides, Stacy’s on the pill; you two are on the prayer and hope method.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“On the other side of graduation. We don’t need to be raising kids while we’re going to high school.”
“Mark, Mom and Dad would have loved Stacy, and they’d be proud of you both.”
“I like to think they do and they are. I’ll have to wait till I get there to ask them.”
“Don’t get in any hurry.”
“I won’t. Get some sleep; I’ll wake you up in three or when I get tired.”
“Night, little brother. I love you.”
“I love you too, Todd. Thanks for trusting me with this.”
“I always have, with everything. Goodnight.”
(Over the Mississippi River, 3 AM CST)
“Todd, wake up. Come on Todd, wake up.”
“What time is it?”
“Three in the morning. We just crossed the Mississippi; call Stacy and tell her we’re about forty minutes out.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ve had the throttle almost firewalled the whole way and we caught a tail wind. We made up a lot of time.”
“Thank God for small miracles. You were supposed to wake me up two hours ago.”
“I felt good, still do, and you were sleeping like a rock. It’s fine. I do want you to take the landing.”
“You’ve landed this plane at our strip in the dark before.”
“Yeah, but you’re fresh and I’ve been flying for five hours on short sleep. It’s safer for you to do it.”
“Makes sense to me. I’ll call Stacy and get her to light up the runway.”
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Post by headlesshorseman on Mar 23, 2018 6:01:22 GMT -6
Thank you for your time and effort. I wish Terrell well but will decline to place any bets. His best bet is a come to Jesus moment with Stacy without ticking her off enough for her to kill him.
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