Ms. Got Rocks (3 page)

“Girls, I feel lucky to get here in one piece, that guy drives like a crazy thing.”

The dogs are warm and dry under the plane. The space blanket shelter was working well for them.

Rocky was going to stretch out on the airbed in the cargo bay. Her long tall drink of water body did not fit well back there, but she was tired enough and the airport was quiet enough she would sleep. At this latitude, there would be seven hours of possible darkness, enough for a decent sleep.

Rocky made sure the dogs had water and unleashed them for the night. She knew they would not go far from the plane.

Changing into dry clothes Rocky then snuggled down into her sleeping bag with a bottle of water and her thoughts. The rain pattering on the fuselage of the plane was like white sound and she was asleep for the count. The sun had not yet set over the harbor. The last thing she remembered hearing was Lovie snoring under the plane.

The sun was shining right into her eyes, time to hit the road. It was a quarter to five and the sun had been up for fifteen minutes. The rain had passed over, but there were some nasty looking clouds hanging around in the sky. The fresh new sun was peeping through the clouds and around some lovely mountains.

“If ever I come back to Alaska, I will live here and start a charter service,” Rocky daydreamed as she admired the stunning view in every direction.

But this morning the goal was to cross into Canadian airspace and stay on the ocean side of the Canadian Rockies. The goal city for tonight was Powell River, British Columbia, on the north side of Vancouver, BC. That was a long flight time, but it should be interesting flying and beautiful.

By five thirty, the checklist was complete and they were ready to leave, the dogs were anxious to get back into the plane. Rocky opened mineral water bottles and filled the squirt bottles. There was no one moving at the airport, which meant not a chance for a decent breakfast or a restroom. Rocky made a last stop in the trees and they were ready to fly.

The plan for the next two hours was to head back inland but not too far inland, she wanted to stay away from the Coastal Mountains. She would take them higher than yesterday as some of these mountains are well over ten thousand feet tall.

The plane would get better fuel consumption the higher it flew. The flight would be smoother above the rain clouds. Rocky radioed to Canadian ATC which was now the closest, and advised them that she was airborne. Air traffic control gave her clearance for eight thousand feet altitude, up they went.

They flew over Kake still in Alaskan airspace, but by a whisper. It was so cloudy down below that Rocky could not see the little town. Around the plane the sky was brilliant blue and again Rocky was reminded of why she loved to fly.

The mountains went on forever and there were plenty of large and small lakes she could use on the way if she must.

The first stop this morning was not a planned stop but they were hungry. Rocky planned to get enough food there to last the day and she would try for a non-stop leg into Powell River. They were approaching Hyder Stewart on the Alaska British Columbia border, with a nice airport and a cafe.

Twenty-five American dollars later, Rocky had eaten a huge breakfast, bought three I Heart Hyder Stewart pins and a large to go bag of grilled cheese sandwiches. There was another bag with a large steaming hot cup of Canadian tea. Rocky was back in tea heaven land and loving it. Even the worst of tea here, was better than the best tea in the USA.

A wash up in the cafe restroom for Rocky, for with clean teeth she could fly anywhere.

With final pit stops for the dogs they were ready to go for Powell River. The cheese sandwich bag was between her feet on the floor of the plane, otherwise Lovie would help herself to all three of the sandwiches.

The rain had stopped on the ground and the clouds were moving north, the fliers were moving south. Rocky thought the rest of the flight would be wonderful for flight seeing.

The flight plan she had filed in Anchorage called for going inland a little way across from Prince Rupert. Rocky was attempting to avoid as much air traffic as she could. She planned to overnight in Powell River and the next day turn inland and south to avoid Vancouver air traffic. They would reenter the USA in Eastern Washington State.

It was early afternoon and this flight had been close to textbook. Rocky was not saying that out loud, however. There was no point in playing silly with the flying goddess. The sun streamed into the cockpit making it toasty warm and bright. The dogs were asleep and the auto-pilot was doing the driving. Slowly her head drooped until her chin was resting on her chest. She day dreamed in the warm comfort of the day

“You can‘t be serious. You refused to take your Mother to the library to pick up her talking books. My God, Tony,” the tall red haired woman screamed at the top of her lungs at her husband.

“Sure, why not, I didn’t want to do it, she doesn’t want to go when it is convenient for me. Why should I have to drag her ass everywhere, anyway?” Tony, her husband asked.

“Because, you insensitive clod, the woman is blind, that’s why you should take her to the library,” Rocky is trying to lower her voice, but it is not happening.

“She can take a bloody taxi or she can ride the bus. She is lucky her ass isn’t out there dragging a cart down the street to the store, like the sorry ass old ladies she lives around,” reminds Tony as he adjusts his silk tie in the mirrored closet door.

“Why do you hate your mother? What has she ever done to you?” Rocky asks for the millionth time.

“She and my Dad got divorced when I was six. She didn’t get custody of us. She left us,”

Tony is looking at Rocky through the mirror, with a look of such rage; it was incredible, that anyone can hate with such passion for that length of time.

“Tony that was thirty one years ago, forgive her, move on, get a grip. Jeez,” Rocky might as well talk to a cardboard box. “Oh, did your mother, by any chance, have any money to take the bus or taxi, or maybe I should rephrase that, did you take her to the bank so she could get cash?We won't count that she has to walk a mile and a half either way to the bus stop, carrying her books,” Rocky continued her day-mare.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I took her three weeks ago. She doesn’t have any cash right now, ‘cause last Monday, I borrowed it to get beer, I was out,” Tony has adjusted his two hundred-dollar tie perfectly. He smiled at himself in the mirror.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you, and your brother are so mean to that poor woman. I’ll take her to the bank before I go to work. And, what are you doing this morning?” Rocky asked, with as much sarcasm as she can manage at the moment.

“I’m going to work. I work for a living, I pay the rent, I buy the food, I pay the electric bill, I buy the car insurance, I buy the gas for your car,” Tony began his usual rant.

Tony continued, “My Mother produces nothing for society, I do.”

“Your Mother is retired, after working since she was sixteen. She owes society nothing. She is stamped paid in full. Well, you dream on, Tony, I work for a living, too. You know very well who actually makes this place run. I’m going, do not worry about your mother, I’ll take care of her,” Rocky turned away and walked to the doorway.

"I knew you would."She heard Tony mumble as she moved into the hallway. “You do that, bitch,” Tony’s parting shot to his wife.

She was running from Tony, when she awoke with a start.

*   *   *

Rocky awakened with her arms failing and the hot breathe of Phoebe wafting into her ear. Rocky had been dreaming of the last day of her marriage and now she was cold and anxious. Trying to return to reality, she hurried to check the instruments. Everything remained in normal mode handled with precision by the autopilot. She reassured the dogs that she was also back to normal mode though the sick feeling of her ex-husband being close by would not leave the cockpit for some miles.

Even cold, the grilled cheese sandwiches were delicious. She shared with the dogs and they had a big Milk Bone biscuit as they flew along. If it were not for all the interesting glaciers on the way Rocky would be getting bored with all the miles of mountains and trees. After lunch, the hardest part of flying was staying awake in the warm cockpit. She was terrified that the boredom would put her back to dreaming. She rolled both windows down for awhile till the feeling was gone.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes song is all wrong, I sure as hell didn’t wish that day for myself,” she thought.

She switched off the autopilot and flew manual the rest of the day.

The traffic of small planes was increasing; they were approaching the more populous part of British Columbia with many flight seeing tours, commuter jets and an Air Canada jumbo momentarily sharing her flight level. Rocky calculated they should be on the ground in Powell River in forty-five minutes. The weather report was still hanging in good as gold. She was thankful for that.

While paying attention to what was flying around her, Rocky stowed gear and garbage in the bin behind the seat.

The dogs were linked to their seat belts in prep for landing.

Powell River was a busy airport this time of day, and Rocky’s plane was put into a holding pattern out over the water for forty minutes as she waited for her turn to land.

Phoebe was starting to get anxious, she probably had to relieve herself and she was not the only one who needed to pee. The dogs had been good on this long leg, though they will be happy for a chase with a ball anywhere they could play.

It was their turn in line for the runway, and they were down in no time at all. The ground controller assigned them a spot on the ramp to park. Within thirty minutes the plane was fueled for tomorrow and they were at home for the night in Powell River, BC, Canada.

Adjacent to the airport, was a large motel that welcomed pets. They checked in and then took a stretching walk. Afterward, Rocky flaked out in the shower and had no intention of moving for at least another five minutes while the dogs tested the beds.

The hot water was beating down on her head. Rocky had not had a shower for three days. It felt wondrously good, Rocky planned to grow there.

With two sets of clean clothes, three days of dog chow and a couple of protein bars remaining it looked like they needed to get close to California tomorrow.

Tomorrow was tomorrow and Rocky was going to enjoy a game of Frisbee with the dogs tonight and then settle in for a knit and TV evening.

Powell River was a bustling airport at night, also. Rocky had difficulty sleeping with all the takeoffs and landings all night. Having spent the last week sleeping either under the plane or in the drafty interior of the cargo bay, the motel room seemed stuffy and close.

Phoebe had parked herself in front of the door, and Lovie was on her back with her feet in the air sleeping tight for the night. Lovie knew that spooky Phoebe would let her know if anything should become amiss.

Tossing and turning, finally at two AM, Rocky turned on the light and knit until she could not stay awake another minute.

It was hours past sunrise when she finally woke. Both the dogs were anxious to go out, she threw on some jeans and a sweatshirt, and they got out for a walk along the busy airport road.

McDonalds handled the breakfast, the checklist was finished. Rocky boosted the dogs into the bird and they were ready to go again. 

By late that night Rocky wanted to see Devlin and Margie in Auburn, California.

They needed to make a left hand turn immediately after take off and use the pass to get through the mountains without having to go above ten thousand feet. Once they were past the little city of Hope, Rocky was going across the border and stop for a lunch and fuel break in Kennewick, Washington. 

Going inland that far will take her around the busy Vancouver Victoria Seattle Portland corridor, which to Rocky was the equivalent of choosing a small two-lane country road rather than the Los Angeles Harbor Freeway at four thirty in the afternoon.

Getting through the pass, was very turbulent, the plane was dropping and climbing like a buzzard on speed. There was no boring flying here, unlike yesterday. She was too busy for flight seeing over the Fraser River Gorge. She was relieved when she was on the other side. Her two canine flight assistants were swallowing hard, they very seldom got airsick, but that ride sure would have been a good time for it.

They were past that now. The air had smoothed out again, and the sun was beating down. 

The dogs had returned to their beds and were sleeping. The temperature had risen at least twenty degrees since they left Powell River.

Eastern Washington, Oregon and the interior California Big Valley would be giving them the heat and some turbulence from thunderstorms in the afternoon. Rocky had hoped to be on the ground before late afternoon, but she had slept in. If it got too bad she would stop over in Southern Oregon or Redding California for the night.

*   *   *

"How is Moscow?” Antonio Harris asked in his mellow but juvenile pitched voice from the family compound in Boston.

“You know how I loathe and despise this city, don’t ask stupid questions,” said his sister Jasmine Harris. “What the fuck is happening with Julio in Africa? I want an answer, just a simple yes or no outta him, and I want it today. Did it arrive or not?”