Percy's Mission (12 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Charlie took the ten dollars from the grounds man at the country club golf course. He’d helped him rebuild a storage shed on the back nine. He’d seen the ad for the job on the community bulletin board at the grocery store where he’d restocked a few food items with his small amount of cash.
There was a construction site nearby in which he’d found several large drainage pipes stacked out of the way with some pallets of stuff stacked at one end. There was a gap in the fence they didn’t seem too anxious about, so he’d started sleeping in one of the pipes. There were chemical toilet huts on site so he had a good bathroom. He was careful to only be around after hours. He left before the guys came to work and went back after they left.
The YMCA wasn’t too far away and he’d been able to get a shower and change into his good clothes before he went to the golf course. He carried one of his buckets with the few tools he had in it. It was a long shot that paid off. The grounds man had seen his professional grade hammer and hired him for the job.
“Charlie, why don’t you come back tomorrow. I’ve got a couple more projects I could use some help with until my helper gets over the flu.”
“Sure, Mr. Cunningham. I’d be proud to. Thank you.”

“Okay then. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll let the gateman know you’re coming so there won’t be a problem at the gate. Oh. You won’t need your tools tomorrow. We’ll be using the course’s stuff.”
“Okay, Boss. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Charlie’s steps lagged when he saw the man waiting near the drainage pipes. Maybe he would at least let Charlie get some of his stuff. Charlie stopped a few feet away from the man, in case he tried something. Charlie would have a better chance of getting away with some distance between them.
The man dropped his cigarette to the ground and put it out with his boot. “You the one been staying here?”
The light was beginning to fade, but the man could see Charlie nod. “How long?” the man asked, hitching up his pants.
Charlie got ready to run. “A week. I’ll get my stuff and get out of here. I don’t want any trouble.”
“You take anything?”
Tense, still ready to drop the bucket and run, Charlie shook his head. “No sir. I’m not a thief. I’m homeless but no thief. I even worked today. Out at the golf course.”

“I see. You seen anyone else hanging around when we’re not here?”

“No sir.”
“How long you plan on being here?”
Charlie watched the man for a few moments. “If there wasn’t any trouble I was planning on moving on when they got ready to install the pipes.”
The man nodded and lit up another cigarette. “I’m not going to give you a hard time. But if anything turns up missing I’m gonna be on you like a duck on a June bug. You understand me?”
“Yes sir. Thank you. But I better just get my stuff and go. I don’t want to be in the middle of trouble if something does turn up missing. That’s not unusual in an operation like this.” Charlie began to gather the few things he left in the pipe each day.
“Wait. You’re right, I guess,” the man said. “Look. Just don’t cause any trouble and I’ll leave you alone. I can’t guarantee about anyone else, especially the cops, but nobody here will hassle you if you don’t cause the problem.”
“Wow!” Charlie said softly. “Thanks, man.” He held out his hand.
After a moment the man took it in a firm handshake. “I’m Clyde. Keep your nose clean and there won’t be any problems. Keep a low profile. I can’t say my bosses would do the same.”
“You’ll barely know I’m around,” Charlie replied.
Clyde turned and headed for his pickup truck, parked just outside the gate of the security fence.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Having another period of free time, Edward went to the website he’d been in before. He whistled when he saw the costs of the various shelter systems. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it. He could. But it was still a lot of money for something that would probably never be used. Though, with the things he’d been seeing in the news lately, that thought was changing significantly.
When he’d talked to the Tennessee banker, after finally recalling his name, the man had said he had purchased a top of the line six-person model. Edward frowned as he studied the specifications on the computer screen. The six-person would certainly work for him. It was only him, his wife, and the two kids. Even if he took in Courtney... Still… The other bankers weren’t anywhere near as well off as Edward. Edward owned two banks and was having a new branch built. The others only owned, at best, one bank. Most were actually just mangers at small independent chain banks.
Edward started to smile. His wife Emily would have a cow when Courtney showed up, if anything ever happened. But that scene would be minor when Doc Cutter and his wife showed up. He played golf with the doctor nearly every week. The last time they’d played, much of the discussion had been about the goings-on in the world.
Doc lived in a luxury apartment building downtown. Edward had been trying to get him to transfer at least a portion, if not all, of the man’s inheritance from the bank he was using to one or both of Edward’s. With the man’s concern about everything, he might just be willing to transfer some of his millions for a spot in the shelter.
Emily despised both the doctor and his wife. “She’ll just have to have two cows,” Edward thought to himself as he grinned. One for Courtney and one for the Cutters. “The ten-person, deluxe, with all the extras,” Edward said aloud. He began entering the information on the website to get an official quote.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

They didn’t feel the effect of storms much in the earth-sheltered buildings they lived in and worked in, but it was obvious when Percy went out the next morning that they were in the middle of a bad storm.
He ran over to the equipment barn to see if the hands were there. They were, dry and secure. Bob Hansen grinned at him. “You’re all wet, boss,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Yeah,” Bernard said. “Why didn’t you use the tunnel? We did. That rain is cold!”
“Next time,” Percy replied resettling his hat on his head. He’d had to grab it when he ran over. The wind was wicked. Looking out one of the open equipment doors, he saw Smitty Smith and John Jacobson both drive up, then into the barn.
“Mornin’ gentlemen,” Percy said when the two had exited their respective vehicles. John a diehard Ford driver, Smitty in his Chevy. Bernard stayed with Dodges. His was parked in the parking lot at the bunkhouse. And of course, Jim and Bob loved their Jeep. Mattie had her old Volvo that was a bit ugly but ran like new, and Susie a Subaru wagon.
Quite an eclectic group of vehicles, particularly when you added Percy’s Suburban and the car he very seldom drove, a mint condition 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman. And that didn’t include Percy’s other light vehicles, the Kenworths, the Unimogs, the Rokon’s, and the two Bobcats. Though, the last two, the Rokon’s and Bobcats weren’t vehicles so much as pieces of equipment, even though the Rokon’s were capable of traveling almost forty miles an hour, though Percy had never had one of them up to that speed.
Percy turned his attention back to the group as Susie joined them. She, like Jim, Bob, and Bernard, had used the tunnels. Susie really didn’t like using them, but she liked storms even less, and it was storming violently now.
“Considering the weather… and the hail,” Percy added as golf ball sized hail began landing on the ground outside, let’s go through all the mobile equipment and service it. Rearrange things a little in here. Oh. And exercise everything a little. We haven’t used some of the equipment in a while, especially the features of the Kenworth utility truck.”
They’d quit using the utility/service truck in the orchards when Percy bought two three-wheel, hydraulically driven cherry picker style basket lifts. They worked much better in the orchards than the big truck. They were equipped with hydraulic outlets in the baskets to power trimming saws, pruners, and similar items used in the orchard. The operator controlled everything from the basket. The machines were mobile enough to travel throughout the orchard easily and quickly using a hydraulic drive system.
The tree fruit crops were going to be large this year, despite the drought, since they’d irrigated heavily. There had been a lot of thinning to do to ensure a high quality crop. Percy had owned a similar machine previously, but it had quit on him and he’d disposed of it about the time he got the Kenworth service truck. While it worked okay in the orchards, it was overkill for the tasks required. The two lifts were much easier to use than the Kenworth, as they only required one operator. The Kenworth really needed two to be effective.
Despite the fact that the greenhouses were constructed with extruded polycarbonate panels, Percy didn’t want the hands working in them with the hail coming down the way it was. So they worked on the equipment, having a rather good time doing it. There was no need to worry about the damage the crops might suffer. They were not able to do anything about the situation now. Percy would check the fields when the weather broke.
The forecast and Percy’s own weather instruments indicated the same thing. The storm system would continue to dump rain for at least another day. When they’d finished for the day, Percy told everyone they could take the next day off, he’d tend the animals. They’d done pretty much everything that needed doing in the equipment barn.
As he and Susie walked back to the house through the tunnel, Susie asked Percy, “Mr. Jackson, could I talk to you for a few minutes when we get to the house? I need some advice.”
“Sure, Susie. Anytime. You know that.”
When they were in the den, Susie started pacing when Percy sat down behind his desk. “What’s on your mind, Susie?”
“You know, you’ve been like a father to me, all these years. I kind of wanted to say thank you, besides just asking for more advice.”
“Well, thank you, Susie. I’ve never tried to substitute for your father, just be available when you needed something.”
“That’s what good fathers do,” Susie replied. She sat down on the large button tufted leather Chesterfield sofa, her hands going between her knees as she sat on the edge of the sofa. “It’s about Andy, Mr. Jackson.”
“Uh… Perhaps you should talk to your mother about this,” Percy said hesitatingly.
Susie turned red and said, “It’s not about that!” She started again. “It’s that I think Andy may ask me to marry him. What do you think I should do?”
“Susie, that is totally up to you. But if you want some advice on the subject, I suggest you make a list…”
Susie grinned. Percy was big on lists. He made lots of them.
“One side, list the positives if you decide to marry him, and on the other, the negatives. It’s a little clinical and cold, but since you know full well where your heart is, it’s about the only suggestion I can give you.”
“Would you help me?” Susie asked. She smiled again. “You’re really good with lists.”
“I suppose I could, if you want me to do so. Some of the items will be a little personal. You might want to list those after we do our list.”
“Like what?” Susie asked, sitting back on the sofa now.”
Percy turned pink. “Well, there’s sex, for one. Is that going to be a positive or negative? See why you should do this on your own?”
Susie had turned slightly red herself, again. But Percy was right, she knew. Sex was a factor. “A positive,” she said after a moment. Percy was careful not to look at her for a while as they continued with the list.
“Do you both want children, or is there a difference of opinion there?” Percy asked next.
“Well, I kind of want to have… maybe two… pretty soon. Andy is more inclined to think a couple should wait until they are well established. Is there an in-between column?”
“If you say there is, there is,” Percy replied, adding another column heading to the paper on which he was writing. “What do you really want in a husband, Susie?”
Susie sighed. “I guess what every woman wants. Faithfulness. Someone that will take care of me, but not be pushy about it. Someone that can take care of me. I mean, I plan to work and all, for a long time, but having kids, now or later, is a big financial responsibility. Raising kids is a big responsibility. All those things. Oh, and he has to love me, of course.”
“Of course,” Percy said. “Do you think he does?”
“I think so,” Susie replied. “I know I love him. He’s so much fun to be around. He treats me nice, but doesn’t insist on paying for everything every time. He lets me contribute to the things we decide to do. And we do decide. Neither one of us just says. We discuss stuff.”
“Have you discussed this with him?”
“No, not really. It’s just been some signs recently… I talked to Mother, and she said talk to you. You’re a guy. You could give me some insights.”
“Yeah. Maybe,” Percy said with a wry smile. “You do know I’ve never had much success with women.”
“Mother mentioned that things didn’t go well with you and Abigail.” Susie hurriedly added when she saw the look on Percy’s face, “She didn’t say much; just that she didn’t think it was your fault. That’s pretty much all she said.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, anyway… You say you can talk things over with him. That should go in the plus side, don’t you think?”
“Of course.”

“His responsibility. Do you think he’s personally responsible and financially responsible?”
“Personally he’s very responsible. Financially… Well, he’s saving money. I know that. But every once in a while he gets the hots for some techno thing. He gives in to it part of the time. Right now he wants a Rokon so bad he can taste it. Part of the reason he wants to borrow one of yours is to see for sure if he wants it. I think he’ll buy one if it works the way I know it will. They are very good machines. And fun. But still…”
“So personal responsibility in the positive. Financial… Negative or in between.”

“In between,” Susie said immediately.
“What about the other side of financial responsibility. There’s spending, but there’s also earning.”
“Oh, he’s really good about finding and keeping jobs. He’s had a couple, I know, but he was laid off the one for lack of work, and the other… the guy wasn’t honest. He’s had the job with Wilkins Oil now for two years. And he got the CDL. He’s worked for you a couple of times before that, and since, driving the Kenworth tractor. And he’s taking correspondence courses for a business degree. He just couldn’t afford to go to college. I mean he’s smart, but he missed so much school his senior year when he broke his leg in that football game. He would have got at least a couple of scholarships, except for that. He loves to learn, but he loves working, too.”
“I know he’s tried really hard to make up for the lack of college. I know how he feels,” Percy said. “So that part of financial responsibility in under the positive heading.”

“Definitely.”

“Now I know you love him, you said so, but he’s like me. Not the most handsome of men. What about the looks of the children. You’re a pretty girl. You want your daughter, or even son, to look like him?”
“Hey!” protested Susie. “He’s not that bad looking. He got his share of dates in high school. I don’t think our kids will be that bad looking.”
“Okay. Positive or in between.”

“Well… in between, I guess.”
“You mentioned he had lots of dates in high school. You mentioned faithfulness. Do you think he’ll be faithful?”
There was no hesitation. “He will be. He looks at other girls, just as I do guys when a good-looking one passes by, but he hasn’t dated anyone but me, since we started going out. I’m sure of it.”
“Faithfulness in the positive column,” Percy said, marking it down.
They were laughing by the time they finished, the last few items on the list rather silly.
“What should I do based on the list?” Susie asked the laughter fading.
“That’s still up to you,” Percy said. He tossed the yellow pad to her.
“Oh my,” she said softly, seeing the list. “I may just have to marry him, if he asks,” she whispered. She looked up. “I need to go talk to Mother. Thanks, Mr. Jackson, this really helped.” She jumped up and ran around the desk to give him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. She headed out of the den quickly, the pad still in her hand.
“They sure grow up fast,” Percy said softly, turning on the TV. The news wasn’t good. The situation between India and Pakistan was still in limbo. China was grumbling about the situation now, too. He decided to see what he could find out on the internet, but it was down again. There’d been a report of power outages in Chicago, one of the major hubs for the internet, though there had been no mention of the internet in the report. Percy suspected that the power outage was the cause of the internet being down.
He was quiet through supper, thoughtful, letting Mattie and Susie discuss Andrew. Percy made a mental note to have Andy come out and pick up the Kenworth and the other tank trailer the next day. He’d have it filled and park it at the tank farm. Start using out of it and keep the other tanks full until the world situation became calmer.
Andy was delighted by the prospect. He was there before noon and back with the load of fuel by two that afternoon. He hung around and helped Percy connect the hoses and top off the stationary tanks from the compartments in the trailer. “I’ll let you know when I need you to come out and fill the trailer again, Andrew,” Percy said.
“You’re really worried about that thing going on in India, aren’t you, Mr. Jackson?”
“I am, Andrew, I am. I guess I’m pretty obvious about it, like with this fuel, huh?”
“Not to most. Most people think you’re a little strange, anyway.”
Percy smiled. They headed back toward Andy’s five year old GMC Jimmy. “Uh… Mr. Jackson, can I talk to you for a minute? I need some advice.”
“Sure, Andrew. What’s up?” Percy wasn’t surprised at Andy’s response.
“It’s about Susie. You know her really well. You’re almost like her father. I was wondering...” Andy looked down at the ground for a moment then looked into Percy’s eyes, a serious look in his. “What do you think Susie would say if I asked her to get engaged? And… Well… Do you think it would be all right if I did ask her?”
“Andrew, I’m not her father. If you wanted to get permission you should be asking Mrs. Simpson. As to what she would say… Andrew there’s no way of knowing until you ask. You obviously love her or you wouldn’t be asking me this. Would you say yes if she asked you?”