Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 08

Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 08

(4:55 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

Luckily, the pine trees did not go too hard on Jack. Plus, his air bag helped. His mini? Well, that was a different story. The mini was in a bad way.

Neither of the racing cars stopped to see how Jack was doing. No one was around to see what had happened and Jack happened not to be recording at the time due to what is sometimes called a technical malfunction.

A woman in a later vehicle stopped and offered assistance. She found Jack still in a daze and called nine one nine. By the time the ambulance arrived though, Jack was recovered enough to say that he was feeling better and refuse a ride.

His cell phone got busted in the crash up though so he asked the lady if he could use her phone to call for a ride for himself and a wrecker for his mini. She handed over her phone and offered him a ride. He accepted both. He truly hoped that this would be the last time he needed a wrecker for a good long time.

He figured it was no use trying to arrange the planes in person any more for the night and asked to be dropped off at a friend's place out in Gambier.

(5:10 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

When he got to his friend's house, there was a party going on. Every one made quite a fuss over him. He guessed he must have looked worse than he felt.

They asked if he would like to join the party, but he said that he would just like a quiet room and a working phone if that was possible.

What he got was a semi-quiet room in the guest cottage at the back of the property. He got a working phone. He made some calls. Both planes were available. Bingo!

He had a restless night of non-sleep. He took too many pain killers and other various pills, trying to ward off the pain and the wired feeling from the crash. he hated popping pills like that.

He awoke, if you could call it that, early the next morning feeling like he had been run over by a truck. He had been hit by a tree, so he figured that was close enough.

He walked across the street and took a swim in the water that was too cold for his tastes but he came out feeling more alive and with it.

After his swim, he went back to the house and rinsed the salt off with a hose in the front yard and then went into the house through the pool door and walked on in to the large kitchen. Bits of last night's party were still in evidence this morning. Including living bits.

(5:27 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

The cook, who had been with the family at least since Jack was a little boy, was making a major Bahamian breakfast. Conch souse, chicken souse, tuna and grits, steamed bologna. That good, thick stuff that you cut for your own self from the stick. Johnny cake. Eggs and bacon. Fresh squeezed orange juice.

By about nine am, he was full and feeling a lot more human. He decided he felt good enough to make a short flight at least and he asked to borrow the old moke that was kept out in a shed and barely ran.

He drove over to the lake house and had to wake his friends up to let them know that he was taking the plane.

(9:13 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

*** Lake Cunningham And A Float Plane

The plane went easily down the smooth waters of the lake and into the air. Jack was in the seat beside the pilot. He had planned on flying himself, but his buddy had wanted to fly today and Jack decided it might be better if he could concentrate more on what he was looking for so things worked out well.

Plus, he was only just beginning to realize how sore he was from that crash last night.

He asked his buddy to head across the tongue to the Northern tip of Andros and then to follow the edge of the shallow water north and then back east and north again around the Berries.

From there he wanted to head on over to Hole In The Wall and then over to Spanish Wells and then back down to Nassau via The Current and the chain of islands. That was the plan.

(9:39 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

He was not sure when he started out just what he was looking for. He had spent a lot of time on the water for his whole life, and a good amount of time in the air in his late teenage years, but was not in the air as much lately. Something about that map he had found had tickled a vague memory somewhere in the back of his head though. He had a feeling that getting back in the air may help to bring things into focus. Or might spark some further memories at least.

Once they crossed the tongue of the ocean, they brought the plane down low and slow for a bit until Jack figured out that he probably should stay higher to give himself a bigger picture and more information for the first pass so they took her up some again but kept things slow.

Jack remembered how much he loved the view from above. He really should try to get up more. Make the time, that was the ticket.

When they reached Hole In The Wall, he almost asked to be re-routed up to the area of the Sand Bank Cays and Dun-Ja-May for a trip down memory lane and for the chance to have some good luck rub off on him.

He had found his first sunken treasure around those islands and he always felt enchanted when he was in the area. That, plus he like the chance of seeing the dolphins.

(9:58 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

A lonely room where a tired eyed author is nearing the half way point to quota for the night. Well, where he probably just passed it unless he passed it before due to the inaccuracies of hand counting longhand writing. Technology and the lack thereof.

The rain is falling gentle reader, the rain is falling on the roof outside. I used to live in a house where the rain spent a lot of time inside but I now live in one where the rain is not so welcome within.

Let me see if I can find you some nonsense to highlight the trip around the islands that Jack took in the float plane.

Nassau

Dis potcake name a Big Jack
Got a bruddah dey call Daddy Mac
Dem two all about
Tippin garbage can out
Den runnin away round da back


Andros

This boy from Congo Town way
All he liked was to play and to play
Now his mummy say "Son,
You best try to run
If you don't come right away like I say!"

The Berrys

There was an old man of the Berrys
Who was no longer really that hairy
It had migrated down
To his back from his crown
That balding old man from the Berrys

Abaco

This young man from old Abaco
To West Palm decided to go
But the smack boat went down
And all hands they did drown
Such wailing in old Abaco

Spanish Wells

There was a young blond head Sigillian
By seventeen, made his first million
But by twenty three
He'd lost it you see
Wine and women, mostly Brazilian

(10:20 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

Ah, gentle reader, even the tricks are not working well tonight. I am really out of it. Woozy. Beyond the need for sleep. That's a laugh. Really, seriously, in need of deep sleep is more like it.

And getting the words out is like pulling teeth today. All this while my wife and son are long since tucked away in bed and out like lights.

But not I. No, I sit and labour at my desk. Alone in this lonely room. No company except my yawns. And you gentle reader. What would I do without you here to keep me going?


(10:30 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

*** Beach Near Shack Near Beach ~;-)

Jack is back at the shack and settling in for the night. It has been an enjoyable day, but he feels like he has either missed something that should have been obvious today or... or what?

He puts a CD in the player and goes out to lie in the hammock on the porch and try catch a quick nap.

Well, I think I'm gonna be a big groovy star
With my drop top love
And a jazz guitar
Find me a big top woman who will
Take me far away.

Or perhaps he is missing something obvious and today was a total waste of time from the get go. Perhaps it was a blind goose chase down a dead end street past the point of no return. He yawns and nods off.

One roach with a surname of Roach
Try to ride with ma gal in a coach
I tell him "Now son,
You may think it's fun,
But I een ga get roach by no Roach."

Jack drifts in and out of sleep for a bit and then comes slightly more awake and hears A Hot Night play.

A hot night, and muggy
We're laid out and luggy
And nobody cares anymore

Down at the station
There's tears and elation
But back here we're starting to snore

You know we had some old loves
But they've grown cold
We had some old dreams
But they've been sold
And we may try
But we'll never ever get them again

So crank up the volume
We sure love those old tunes
And this free bird is dying to soar

Something is not right. That song is not on the CD he put in... He comes fully awake but lies still and keeps his breathing steady, straining his senses to see if the can figure out what is up.


(10:43 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

*** Inside of a sub-sub-basement, deep below a huge new house on the eastern end of Paradise Island.

The room is in darkness and we cannot make out any of the occupants with any clarity whatsoever.

"Gentlemen, I trust that your trip was comfortable. I know I had asked you to complete that job down in Panama for me, but the local talent here in these islands leaves a lot to be desired."

"I need you to keep tabs on a certain Jack Kato for me. He tends to be know as Black Jack around town. He is after something that I want and I want you to see too it that he makes as little progress as possible and that he gets no where near the goal."

"Is that clear?" says a man from the shadows.

There is a general chorus of "Yes, it's clear," and a few ragged "Sir!"s following on.

"Good, You will each find an envelope with your name on it under your chair. In it you will find resources for your mission... Money, identities, credit cards, driver's licenses, and information on the target including several recent photos. Do your homework on him. This is an important mission gentlemen."

(10:58 pm Thursday Nov 08, 2007)

The phone is ringing and Jack rolls over and answers it... "Hello?"

"Hey tiger, what happened to you tonight? You were supposed to take me out dancing. Did you forget me?"

"No baby, I just sort of got held up. Listen, things have just been all up in the air lately. I just can't seem to get it together. I am on to something big, but I just can't seem to catch any breaks for the last week or so."

"That's no excuse tiger. You were supposed to be here at eight thirty to take me to dinner and then dancing. I went out and bought a new outfit for tonight. I went and got my hair done. I took the day off work. I waited and waited. No Jack! You shouldn't treat me like this Jack."

"I know baby, I'm sorry. I haven't been myself lately. You know you are the only one for me. I knew it since that first night we danced together at your friend's beach bash party."