Jukebox Time Machine #40
Evening and Morning
Once again, seeing the machine guns mounted brought the reality of what we were about to attempt into focus. How many movies and documentaries have I watched where this model helicopter flew over the battlefield with guns blazing or tried to land under enemy fire? Part of me wanted to look closer, and part wanted to turn and run. We decided against going any further.
When we returned to the house, I told Sammy and Tabby what we had seen. They received the information with a solid ho-hum. I guess I was the only one concerned, but I was the one who got everybody into this.
Pasqual and Janine came for us at 6. We walked through the trees, finally coming to a large communal shelter. I could smell the food before I could see it. There was a long table with benches down each side. Antoine sat in an oversized chair at one end of the table, and Melonie sat at the other. I felt there was more to Melonie than being a shop clerk. Somewhere between fifty and sixty, people drifted in and sat at the table. We sat toward the middle of the table, Pam and I on one side and Sammy and Tabby on the other.
The aroma of the food was wonderful, and the table looked like something from a travelogue. There were several varieties of fish, shrimp, and oysters, as well as two fried dishes I couldn’t wait to try. Mangoes, oranges, and bananas filled platters, and there were bowls with toasted and raw coconut. Giant pitchers of lemonade sat at intervals along the table. The food was delicious, especially the fried dishes. I asked Felicity what they were. She said the round ones were conch fritters, and the flat one was gator tail. I had to think about that for about five seconds before reaching for another.
As the meal drew to a close, individuals and couples stopped by to greet us. Antoine told us to stay. Some people began clearing the table, so Antoine led us to a smaller building. Inside, we found Melonie, Felicity, and sixteen others. It didn’t take me long to realize that these troops were going with us. Antoine introduced everyone and then got down to business. He laid out his plan for the morning. We would leave the island at 4:00 a.m. Antoine, Melonie, Felicity, and three loaders would be on the second chopper, while Pasqual, Janene, and the others would be on the first.
“Go, get some rest. Try not to think about it, said Antoine. “We’ll come get you tomorrow morning.”
Felicity took us outside, where a golf cart waited to take us back to the house. Once there, we tried to relax. The beer supply had been refilled, so we each had one. We talked about old times. Everyone had a favorite story, and we laughed when they retold it. The laughter was hollow.
Once we went to bed, I did my best to close my eyes and get some sleep. It didn’t work. I tossed and turned for a while. Pam had gone to sleep, and I didn’t want to wake her, so I slipped out of bed, grabbed another beer, and went out on the porch. About fifteen minutes later, Pam joined me.
“I tried not to wake you,” I said
“You didn’t. I fell asleep for a while, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to sleep.”
I’ve seen a lot of movies where the man knows he’s going to war, so he proclaims his undying love to his girlfriend just before boarding the train. I thought I might try that.
“Ever since I returned to Durham, you’ve been my partner. I don’t know what I would have done without you and don’t want to find out. Let’s never be apart again.” Until that point, I was doing well, but the stammer-stumbles set in.
Pam must have felt sorry for me because she said, “I love you, too, Bobby.” And kissed me.
We went back inside, and I slept like a baby until our alarm sounded at 3:30 a.m. I don’t think any of us had trouble waking. We dressed quickly and met in the living room. I strapped on my web belt; its weight was a grim reminder of what we would do. I watched as Pam drew her pistol, ejected the magazine, and pulled the slide, checking that the chamber was clear. She then replaced the magazine and set the safety. Sammy, Tabby, and I mimicked her actions, trying to look as efficient. We failed.
The conversation was at a premium until there was a knock. I must confess to having an empty feeling in my stomach. It was Felicity. She came in, looked us over, and smiled. I wondered if the smile was meant to assure us, or if her evaluation of us as a fighting unit was humorous. Her golf cart was outside.
The golf cart was electric, so it was almost silent as we moved along the path. I picked up the sound of the rotor blades before I could see them. We pulled up alongside the second chopper. The rotor wash buffeted us as we departed the golf cart. I could see Antoine and Melonie already aboard. Antoine wore a black tuxedo with long tails and a top hat and carried a walking stick with a silver knob. I couldn’t see what the head of the cane looked like. Ahead, at chopper one, the Rasta Army was loading. The men and women were in full combat dress, and it didn’t look like it was their first rodeo. Three more men came aboard our chopper. Two greeted us and sat. They were to help us load the jukebox. The third man, in combat fatigues, moved to man the 50-caliber machine gun mounted in the door. I heard and felt the speed of the rotors intensify. We hovered. As the ground fell away, I reached for Pam’s hand. She leaned into me. I looked across the aisle at my friends. They were trying to have a conversation. I closed my eyes and sent up a silent prayer: “Please keep everyone safe.” We flew on.