The Fell Good Flue (22 page)

Harry, “the wet one without her top on.”
I said, “oh yes, I noticed her, or that is to say that I couldn’t miss that.”
Harry poured the wine as he said, “stimulation of the senses is very important to good brain function, you wouldn’t believe some of the ideas these women give me.”
I said, “Brandy is the same way, and half the time I still get something done, that’s why I risked the drop down.”
He said, “she inspired you to build something, good, she has a talent that one.” I said, “in many things, mostly in keeping my mind off something, or someone.” Harry, “yes they do the same to me, but we work with what we have. This is an excellent brownie, I must make some up myself or get them to, I don’t like going near fire.” I said, “that’s a good thing for you Harry, too many things blow up around you, one of these days you are going to lose a part.”
Harry, “yesterday I was walking around with a quarter of a pound of plastic explosives in my pants, they won’t let me near the detonators, just one shock from the things I work on would blow more than my personality off.”
I took a drink then said, “well keep the flying fuel in the shade, or you may lose a lot more than that.”
He said, “I am tired of finding new places to meet my special needs, and so are the hot babes that follow me around, we are just getting some of our nice things back. That’s why I have spent some time on safeguards around here, but somethings require more work than others, and others also require my time.”
I said, “my situation exactly. Just taking Brandy for a little shopping this morning would not even had been possible without the speed of the flyers, it’s hard to get your own projects done when others have more for you, but who would want to be unwanted?”
Harry, “I’ve always been able to handle unwanted, it’s some time off from being needed I could use, as well as you. With what’s left of both people and things, getting by is not what it once was, and we tend to push through what needs to be done at the moment so needs are met. But be it blown up or bear lunch, standing in our shoes or next to either of us, is not popular. So people only come by with their needs, but that’s alright, because I’m a giving person as are you.”
I said, “that’s the brownie talking, and you’re welcome.”
The women came back with the part as he said, “see what I mean about being a giving person, you gave me just what I needed when I needed it, and now I do the same with this.” He picked it up and put the new seal in saying, “you’re lucky she looked for this instead of me, or the brownie would have been long gone before I found it. There you go, it should hold now. Another thing fixed today, and so many more to go.”
I said, “thank you, all three of you, it’s always progress when I stop here. And so the rest of your work can progress as well, I shall leave you to it.”
Harry, “don’t forget to take extra fuel, and let me know how the pump works for you. Will the take-off sled be needed, or shall you just jump off the roof this time?”
I said, “the wind has changed, I’ll jump and kick my way into the sky.”
Harry, “I don’t blame you, I think the sled may well be dangerous.”
We laughed and got my pack ready, then got my wings on, and with a full run I was off. The fan was at full power and the wind pulled on my wings, but the weight drew me down and got a kick from my legs as I touched grass briefly, then up into the air again with trees on both sides of me. My course held true as I rose between them and up to clear sailing skies, then homeward with my new part. On the way there I flew over Dizzy Daisy’s and dropped a small bag of brownies off for her, yelling, “don’t tell Brandy,” then it was to my place and down to the roof. I tied it down and stored the fuel, then took my new part down to the shop. I had it almost ready to try out when Brandy came in with a cup of tea, so I wiped my hands off and drank it as we talked about what I was doing. She gave me a hand for a while, and soon the tea was drank and pump ready to try. So with everything out of the way, I turned the system on and the heliport landing pad started to come down. Luckily the wall was not affected, and stood strong as this forty foot wide part of the roof came down slowly, with dirt and dust from years of nonuse falling from the cracks. When it firmly reached its bottom there was another forty-by-forty foot of sky above us, and the breeze took the dust away.
I said, “well that part worked just fine, with some new seal around this whole edge it may again keep water out.”
Brandy, “if it goes back up again, that is.”
I said, “that’s why I got it fixed before even trying this.”
She said, “at worst, I have a indoor-outdoor spot for a garden.”
I said, “no way, this in going to remain a shop area, but first let’s see if it will go up.” So after getting out of the way, we turned the hydraulic pumps on, and the platform went up. Slowly it worked its way back to the roof, and pushed itself into place firmly again, and the pumps shut off.
I said, “I’ll be landing there for now on, and this is a perfect place to keep the flyers.” Brandy, “just don’t take the corvette to the roof, I have enough to worry about.” I said, “it has a great sound system in it, and the battery is charged.”
She said, “well then what’s a tailgate party without a car, you push it on over here and I’ll go get the barbeque ready. Who do you think we should invite?”
I said, “a few strong men to help me move the sound system, put it in those words so they will still show up, once they are here we have them.”
Brandy, “I suppose if I go from don’t take the car on the roof to let’s throw a party, you will promise to fix the elevator as well, because the car will be out of it.”
I said, “this sounds like a trade, and in any trade there are rules. When I make a promise you know what I will go through to get it done, and in the case of that lift it’s a risk at best. Even after I fix it, if I can, it will be a risk each time it’s used -- just like a zip-line.”
She said, “I don’t want you to take any more risk than the ones I can’t keep you from, and I know how long you have talked about one thing or another around here needing to be fixed. It was a bit nuts to do what we did here today, and me helping you throw a party is nuts as well, but if fate has it to pass then maybe the lift will come to be as well. As for the party, I say, don’t ask me to push the car,” and she kissed me.
I said, “I think we just struck a deal, trade be I don’t ask and the party is on, don’t forget to invite Daisy.”
Brandy, “you know she never leaves her building, of course I’ll invite her.”
She started laughing and running toward the liven quarters, leaving me to wonder if I had just talked myself into throwing a party and fixing an elevator both. I ran after her saying, “you will have to throw a cover over those fish, or they may end up at the party as well.” She yelled back, “I said a barbeque not a fish fry, your friends can keep their hands off our sushi.”
That’s when I knew I had roped myself into a party, and as I caught up to her I said, “hay, I think I should ask you to help move the car, then the deal would be off and I wouldn’t have to throw a party.”
Brandy, “as if it’s ever just you, the last party you threw that no one else helped with was in your pants, and you don’t even do that by yourself anymore.”
I said, “it’s true, I have been spoiled, and it’s all your fault. Let me make it up to you with a night of massages and passion.”
She said, “you’re not getting out of it that easily. Besides, we did that the other night, I want people over.”
I said, “we don’t have people over often because it’s hard work, and I hate to put you through it, but if you’re up for one then lets party.”
Brandy, “that’s let’s have a party, party is what you do all the time.”
I said, “everybody has got to have a little fun sometime, getting together to do it is no more than the same thing, but with other’s there.”
She said, “and while I’m trying to figure that one out, why don’t you sit down and decide who to invite, besides Daisy.”
I went to my chair and sat down saying, “let’s keepit small, just those we trade with often and close friends.”
Brandy, “TT, Jacob, Laurence, Teddy, and Billy if he can make it. Harry as well if he does not bring explosives.”
I said, “hard to get him out anymore, but I’ll send him an invite. Maybe Stan if he can be found, I think TT would know.”
She said, “that’s seven if they all show up.”
I said, “Stan may bring two with him and Harry would add another two, Jacob is a plus one and TT is never without someone, plus I think Bill is seeing someone.”
Brandy, “then it’s a party even if only half of them come, sounds like a list to me.” I said, “it’s going to be dark before too long, I better send out the invites and put a call in for the meat, unless you just want me to shoot something from the roof.”
Brandy, “another dear would be nice, do you see one out there?”
I looked out and said, “no, but there is a rat, now make that a fat snake. What a minute, now make that a well feed mountain lion, hand me my rifle.”
She gave it to me, and I got the scope on him as it was ripping another chunk off to swallow. A near strait down shot of thirty stories, and as I squeezed the trigger I could hear the blast in my mind before it went off, as I was not wearing my earplugs again.
Bang!
It went off and the baby started crying.
Brandy went to him as she said, “did you get him?”
I said, “what? My ears are still ringing, but I think I hit it.”
Something was down there in the shadows, but I could not make out movement. Brandy comforted little Sage and stopped his crying, as I keep a close eye on the spot fired upon. I said, “maybe we have mountain cat for BBQ.”
Brandy, “no thank you, they smell bad to me.”
I said, “even if I just winged him, someone will eat the cat that ate the snake that ate the rat. Would you rather have rat?”
She said, “I don’t even want the snake, bear meat will do if there is not enough dear.” I said, “don’t worry, soon there will be a dog looking for that cat, I’ll take them both and feed the loser to our guest that come late.”
Brandy, “that’s why I’m eating early, and I better see some fur so I know what’s being cooked.” I said, “the bear has already lost his, so you will just have to trust it’s not dog.” She said, “and I sleep in your bed, you will just have to trust that I don’t start sleep walking while sharpening your sword.”
I said, “and some people think it’s easy to plan a party.”
Brandy, “no, they think it’s easy to party, not plan one.”
I said, ”it is easy to party, but the concept of getting others to become part of an emotion held at a certain time and place, is where it turns from party to partying.”
Brandy, “baby, if you were any deeper I would have to come up for air just to understand.” I said, “I’m not sure what you just meant by that, but I think Dizzy said it to me once.” She said, “yes, she told me to try to use it, and see if it brought back any memories.” I said, “memories are all we are, from moment to moment, when not in sight.” Brandy, “well then I guess Daisy will be able to come.”
I said, “and so will the rest, look, it’s a party already. Now all I have to do is let them know, it’s no fun being at a party you don’t know about.”
She said, “you have had your share of them, and you were there at the time.” I said, “we have both seen our share of those, was it last night or the one before it?” Brandy, “it may be tonight as well, I don’t know. They’re your memories, you need to take care of them.”
I said, “should we send the invites out by street drum or written invitations?” Brandy, “old fashion written would be nice, do we have any hundred dollar bills to write on?” I said, “those are just for starting fires, use the bleached paper.”
So we wrote them up, and I had the next rooftop guard send them by runner, and word was given as to what I needed. Then we started to get things ready, with more chairs on the roof and a good fire in the barbeque going. We started kidding around and she said something about daisy, and I said the two of them were going to drive me crazy one day, so she said they had thought about a threesome but decided I was not ready yet -- but they would let me know. I said I was not going to write that one down. Soon Jacob showed up and said he got the invite, and a bobcat had been shot in the street below.
I said, “good, bring it on up, the fire will be ready soon.”
Brandy said, “nonsense, we are not eating cat tonight, but that was a nice shot dear.” Jacob, “you shot it Nibor? From here was a good shot. Where were you standing?” Brandy, “he was sitting in his chair by the widow at the time, looking for a fresh dear for tonight, woke the baby and made him cry.”
I said, “made me cry too, I have got to start wearing those ear plugs.”
Jacob, “well now that one will be something to talk about tonight, if you need any help here just let me know.”
Brandy, “when there are more of you they can help him move the music system.” I said, “don’t worry, I can make it light work.”
Then in came Billy, saying he had some time off tonight and was ready to help party. So us three men went downstairs, and I showed them to the far side of my building. On the way we passed the vet and I said this was the music system, then I showed them a battery powered pallet jack. We moved it into place and strapped in, then Billy steered the car as I towed it with the jack, and Jacob pushed. It moved rather well, and we lost Jacob about thirty feet from the platform, then came to a fast stop. After taking the power jack off, we rode up with the corvette and the music playing, “here I am -- rocking like a hurricane.”
Jacobs wife Barb was standing there with Brandy, as we arrived on the roof with or theatrical presentation, and as the platform came fully in place said, “so this is the music system you went to get, pop the trunk so we can see it.”
So I reached in and hit the trunk release to reveal the big boomers. It was a fully packed system that took up all the space, and could put out so heavy that glasses nearby would break, but I would not crank it up that high. Billy was first standing next to it saying, “that’s some system, no wonder you have that palette of batteries to run it with.”
Barb, “yes, I can see why you needed help moving it, none of you have valid driver’s licenses anymore.”
Brandy, “he has already been told not to even try to start it on the roof.”
I said, “no, you only said not to drive it around up here, so I don’t go over the edge.” Barb, “Nibor, everyone knows you went over the edgea long time ago.”
Brandy, “that’s true, but I’m trying to keep him from doing it in a car.”