Chapter Fifty-Six
THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
This story had a beginning, middle and an end. The conclusion, the final act of this intriguing tale is close at hand – close enough to begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
They were all sitting in the conference room gleeful over their safe return from Dallas - Forrest, Olive Marie, Bud, Lou and Jacque ‘Rocky’ Jollett. Krista, Trey, Spook, Tinker, Spook, Sam Lin, Si Lei, Mike Watkins and Baba Scarburg were there too. Last but not least Captain Robert Scarburg, Jr.; however, it was a happy occasion, but sadness was not totally absent; Dr. Lonnie Joe Wheeler was not present but on a brighter note, Lady the little Shetland sheepdog was there.
Captain Scarburg suggested since it was getting late, they should conclude today’s activities, go home, and prepare formal written reports complete with briefing sheets for presentation tomorrow. He requested they all get a decent night’s rest, and reassemble in the conference room tomorrow at 0900 hours. He further stated once all the data was collected and summarized they might be able to come to a decision as to what actually happened in Dallas.
The time was 5:05:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 7, 2012, Parallel Universe: The Present time.
THE END OF THE TUNNEL
The round calendar clock in the right front corner of the conference room was straight up and down nine o’clock. Looking around the table, Captain Scarburg could see that every one that had been present yesterday was once again at the table. Not much conversation was occurring, everyone knew how serious the events of today were to become.
The Captain took the floor and announced how today’s conference was going to proceed. He said each of them would come to the podium and give a complete rundown of their part in the time-jump back to Dallas for the President John F. Kennedy assassination. Everyone was instructed to take as much time as they needed and to leave nothing out. He wanted as complete a report from them as possible.
“Excuse me Grandpa,” said Bud, “but before we get started I have something to say, would you mind?”
“The floor is all yours Bud. What do you have on your mind?”
“After we left last night I went back to my apartment and did some research on the Internet. I found something concerning Olive Marie that is pretty startling.”
At Bud’s announcement everyone’s attention in the room was transfixed on his every word, especially Olive Marie. “Me? What is it Bud?” she said.
He passed a photograph around the table he had downloaded the previous night. “What? This is nothing but a picture of an old Indian. What is its meaning Bud? What does this picture have to do with me?” Olive asked.
Bud answered, “This is a photograph of Geronimo – Chief of the Chiricahua Apache. The picture was taken sometime around 1890.”
“Okay,” said Olive, “but – ”
“Remember the Indians living with the Comanches were captured Chiricahua Apaches when they were camped by the Double Pond Lake in Texas.”
“Right. I’ll ask again, but – ”
“Look closely at Geronimo’s picture. Notice he is holding a Winchester Model 76 repeating rifle in his left hand, and check out his right hand. It is touching something he is wearing around his neck.”
Looking again, Olive Marie exclaimed, “Why! Why it’s my amulet! Geronimo is wearing my amulet that I gave back to Red Wolf! What...? How...?”
“Just guessing,” said Bud, “this picture of Geronimo was taken approximately ninety years after we left – he must be the grand-son or great-grand son of Ekapitu Tseena – your Red Wolf.
Remember, ‘for as long as the grass grows and the rivers flow.’ I believe Geronimo is sending a message to you across time saying: Olive Marie ‘you have not been forgotten.’
A second picture and an article were circulated to the group around the table. The article reported that during the digging of an oil well on a ranch on the outskirts of Celina, Texas in the 1960s, an old Indian graveyard was discovered. Archeologists from the University of Texas preformed a dig at the site and discovered the objects shown in the second picture.
“Bud, what are these two old rusty looking things?” Olive Marie asked as she turned the photograph first to the right and then to the left. “I can’t make heads or tails of it – what are they supposed to be?”
“Let me read the last paragraph in the report by the Texas Archeological Research Association (TARA) concerning these artifacts: Materials were curated in accordance with current guidelines of the TARA. Artifacts processed in the TARA laboratory were air-dried and stored in zip locking archival-quality bags. Each bag contained provenience information and a corresponding lot number written in archival ink.
The gold, metal object (TARA 66-101) found at the Double Pond burial site northwest of Celina, Texas was subjected to Carbon-14 dating. The official report from the lab indicates the object was buried circa 1810 to 1815.
The object was found around the neck of the skeletal remains of a Native American further identified as belonging to the band known as Comanche, obviously a chief identified by the other burial items.
The metal object was suspended by what once were leather thongs. Microscopic examinations indicate the metal was stainless steel; however, all experts in this field readily agree this is quite impossible. Further speculation cannot be made at this time. Its use is unknown; however, the conclusion is it must have been some type of ceremonial device...’
Of further note, another astounding object (TARA 66-102) was found in the same burial site: it has been identified as a 1911 .45 caliber U.S. Army automatic pistol, circa 1944. Obviously, grave robbers had some time in the past attempted to excavate the burial site and lost the weapon, it is of no use to the further interpretation of the burial site...
FOOTNOTE: Carbon-14 dating on the leather pouch containing the automatic pistol indicates an 1800 – 1820 date. Conclusion: pistol was placed in old pouch and grave robbers, in their haste, lost both before leaving burial site.
Captain Scarburg interrupted, “Olive Marie, let me cut to the chase: those ‘old rusty looking things’ were my Special Forces Zippo lighter that I gave to Two Buffalo, and the other was the .45 caliber pistol that I traded for the golden crucifix.”
After the shock of the Bud discoveries, Captain Scarburg regained the podium and announced if they were through with their startling revelations he would begin his Dallas briefing, and he did so for the next hour or so.
Nearing the completion of his presentation he revealed his own revelation: “Remember, I told you about the snapshot I took of a person escaping from the Grassy Knoll. A photo I snapped on my first trip to Dallas. You were told our lab had my photo to enlarge the person’s image and, if possible, find out whom the sniper was through their facial recognition program. Well, the lab report is back. They found a conclusive match for our mystery person. She is Natasha Danletsky.”
“Who is she Captain? Was she someone important?”
“I believe you could say that - she was only a Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency achieving the rank of Deputy Director for Operations, second in command to the Directorate of Operations of Covert Affairs.”
“How? When? How could she achieve such a high position within the CIA?”
“Oh, I left out one vital bit of information - she served as a CIA Deputy Director from 1963 to 1969. Funny how those dates coincide with the term of office of President Lyndon Johnson! Well, it’s not strange when I tell it was President Johnson who appointed Ms. Danletsky to her prominent position in December 1963. I see Rocky shaking his head in disbelief. You see we had already identified Ms. Danletsky before you all arrived this morning. LJ and Rocky taped the back room meeting in Jack Ruby’s place between Jack and a few of his closest Mafia chums. In this meeting were two CIA agents, a David Pherson and Danny Danletsky, as the person was called. At the time we believed ‘Danny’ was a man, we now have positively identified this mystery person as Dannie Danletsky - the
person sitting in the Carousel Club with Jack Ruby on the 21st of November 1963 was none other than the Grassy Knoll shooter and later Deputy Director of the CIA – Natasha “Dannie” Danletsky! I told you, I thought I had seen her before! I have attended CIA meetings at Langley when she was present, back in the day.”
“Whoa! No wonder the Kennedy investigations never got anywhere. The fox was in charge of the hen house.”
After the discussion and murmuring died down each member of the expedition walked up front and related their experiences and at the end where asked the opinion of the operation. The details provided by the voyagers were specific and in some cases downright suspenseful and nerve racking.
After their briefings of the Dallas expedition had been presented Captain Scarburg said, “I do not know about the rest of you, but what we found is troubling to me. We have found the assassination of President Kennedy had connections to the Mafia, the Cuban freedom fighters, high government officials notwithstanding the Vice-President of the United States and of all people even the Secret Service, an agency who is sworn to and duty bound to protect the President. But last but not least the CIA! They were directly involved! And one of their top level Directors was one of the assassins!!
“I know we sat out on a fact finding mission to see if the JFK assassination had been a plot or conspiracy. I believe we have answered those questions, without a doubt, but also the agencies and people just mentioned were involved in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy, I believe they used all means available, up to and including murder to hide this fact from the American people.”
Standing in front of the group, he began to enumerate the group findings:
KNOWN FACTS AND IRREGULARITIES
Some of the things that the Captain talked about concerned the fact that Oswald did NOT act alone. He said numerous witnesses reported seeing more than one gunman; a minimum of four shots was fired at the President. He spelled out that shots came from the Texas School Book Depository, possibly the Dal-Tex Building and the Grassy Knoll. The Captain thought it was possible that a shot might have come from another location that the team did not locate.
He talked about the video LJ and Rocky recorded from Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club. The video, which confirmed the Cosa Nostra or Mafia was involved and used Ruby’s club as a meeting place. This film shows Ruby was, as least, a supporter of this group. They were upset that Castro had thrown them out of Cuba. The Captain explained how the Cuban Freedom Fighters had become upset with Kennedy over the lack of air-support at the Bay of Pigs.
The video also proved the CIA was a principal player in the assassination also.
The CIA was upset with Kennedy’s plan to dismantle the clandestine organizations. And he continued with the CIA using mind control techniques on Lee Harvey Oswald, and did so for years before the assassination. He explained how the CIA had eliminated anyone who could expose them as an unscrupulous organization.
He said the CIA killed Katrina Sokolov, Dr. Joseph Rusnak and Malita Smith in Bangkok that they were sure of, and assumed they also killed some of the assassins connected with the presidential assassination. The CIA did not want their involvement in this mind control MK- ULTRA project revealed.
The Captain further theorized the plan was to have Oswald killed in the street at the corner of 10th and Patton. He was framed for shooting J. D. Tippit, and the CIA assumed the police would take care of him when caught. He thought it was probable that the CIA later killed the actual shooter of Tippit.
This was supported by spent .38 caliber shells found at the murder scene not matching bullets Oswald had in his handgun when captured. Lou and Bud, at the scene of the Tippit murder, validated Oswald did not murder the police officer.
Based on Lou and Bud at least one Oswald lookalike had been identified, there could have been more.
Captain Scarburg stated that Secret Service personnel were involved in the assassination. It was the Secret Service that imprisoned Forrest and Olive Marie with the intention of killing them after the assassination of President Kennedy.
Forrest and Olive Marie proved President Lyndon Johnson was involved in the plot to kill Kennedy while Johnson served as Vice-President. Other high members of the government were also involved. Rich and powerful business leaders had an interest in the replacement of President Kennedy with Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
The Captain then moved to the Dallas police saying persons within the Dallas police department were not totally innocent. J. D. Tippit was more involved than just being a shooting victim. Tippit was a spitting image of John F. Kennedy. No notes were taken during the autopsy of the President. His medical records were missing even his brain and part of his skull had disappeared. Autopsy photos do not seem to agree with photos of the President’s head. Was Tippit a stand in? Was he killed because they needed a body double? A body double was necessary to ‘prove’ to the public the fatal shot came from the rear!! The shooter in the Grassy Knoll was not supposed to be discovered.
Turning to the SCAR Kennedy researchers, Captain Scarburg explained, what he considered, the one most damning piece of information the Dallas SCAR team had found. It concerned the Zapruder film, or Z-Film as it was now being called. Holding up the two Bell & Howell Zoomatic eight-millimeter cameras that he, Forrest and Olive Marie had purchased the morning of November 22, he hesitated as if he did not want to explain what he knew about the Z-Film. He began, “We bought two exact duplicates of Abraham Zapruder’s camera the morning of the assassination at the same store Mr. Zapruder purchased his camera. We used the same type Kodachrome II film and Forrest stood within three feet of Mr. Zapruder as they both filmed the Presidential motorcade. I had the film developed after we returned yesterday. This morning I viewed the film Forrest had taken along side the Z-Film – the two are not identical. Mr. Zapruder has stated, for the record that he never released his finger from the ‘record’ button on his camera from the time the Presidential motorcade began the turn from Houston Street onto Elm Street. His film shows that the Cadillac limousine convertible carrying President Kennedy, the First Lady, and Governor and Mrs. Connally moved from the corner in front of the Texas School Book Depository to the exact frame of the fatal wound to the President’s head took exactly 486 frames and 26.2 seconds.
“This piece of film has been regarded as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the Kennedy assassination. Let me said unequivocally, It Is Not!!”
The Captain further stated the film Forrest took is 503 frames and runs for 28.4 seconds. Seventeen frames and 2.2 seconds of film have been removed from the ‘official’ Z-Film.
The first cut occurred as the motorcade turned the corner from Houston onto Elm Street. Elm was not a ninety-degree turn it was 120 degrees. The Presidential driver missed the turn, and the right front wheel ran up on the sidewalk of the island that separated the street directly in front of the TSBD from Elm Street. It was established in testimony later on that the driver had never driven the parade route before and was unaware of the sharp, more than ninety degree, left turn. At that instant, the assassin was supposed to fire the first shot. The tire running over the curb evidently caused the assassin to hesitate his shot.
The second cut of film occurred a few frames later when the second assassin fired and missed. It missed the limousine entirely; it struck the concrete curb, ricocheted and hit the cheek of Mr. Teague. Mr. Teague was standing by the support column underneath the triple overpass. The third and fourth shots hit their mark, and the President was killed. I think it was cut here simply to hide the fact the Presidential limousine stopped. My theory is the Secret Service cut out the sequence of events when the first shot was to occur to cover the ineptness of the driver, and they cut the film showing the Presidential car had stopped because a head shot at a stationary target was much easier than a shot with the target moving. Instead of stopping the limousine, the driver should have gone into ‘escape’ mode and accelerated the Cadillac as fast as possible to flee the kill zone.”
“Captain
, a question. Was the driver involved in the assassination?”
“The simple answer is – I do not know… it was unusual for him to stop the vehicle, but it may have just been a reactionary response. At this point, it is impossible to determine the reasons for his reactions, but if I had to venture a guess I would say yes, and I believe the film taken by Olive Marie on the opposite side of Elm proves everything I have just said. You all have not seen her film, which we are now referring to as the O.M. Film, so I’m going to ask Olive Marie to come up and explain the new facts that were uncovered in her Film.”
At the mention of the O.M. Film the entire group started chanting “Babushka… Babushka… Babushka…” Olive Marie approached the podium, raised her hands in an effort to quieten the group.
“Okay, okay, enough, enough… I know Grandpa said he would make me a Kennedy Assassination icon, and obviously he did, but I didn’t know for the past forty-nine years I would be known as the “Babushka Lady”. Until two days ago, I had never even heard of the “Babushka Lady”, now she and I are one. Last night I was up most of the night reading every bit of information I could find on the Internet about her. The word ‘her’ sounds strange and foreign to me – strange for I am the Babushka Lady, I was researching myself. I cannot seem to put myself into her body… it is as if she were someone else, a stranger. A specter that appeared, filmed a few seconds of a president being killed, walked across the street and disappeared. I was in history for only 28.4 seconds but will be remembered forever. Grandpa said icon, I say curse. It is like having a terrible secret that you are dying to tell, but you know you cannot. It has been said some are born to greatness, and other have it thrust upon them; I believe there is yet another reason – sometimes history demands it. I will accept this responsibility as the “Babushka Lady” under one condition that I will explain at the end of my presentation.”
For the next hour, Olive Marie detailed her 28.4 seconds of her O.M. Film in minute detail, showing the instant President Kennedy was slain. The film also proved the motorcade stopped dead still for a couple of seconds after the first shot. A pan of the camera caught a glimpse of the ‘shooter’ on the Grassy Knoll. Enhancement of the film verified it was a woman. A view of the Texas School Book Depository indicated another shooter in a corner window nearest the spot where President Kennedy was killed. As the camera panned across the TSBD building, the top ‘sniper’s liar’ window on the sixth floor was vacant. No one was seen peering out. No one could be seen back in the shadows either. Finishing her presentation Olive Marie placed her pointer back on the board stand, turned to the assembled group, and with as a stern face a young lady could muster said, “Here is my condition: after this very moment no one and I mean no one in this room will EVER mention Babushka in connection with me again. Never ever again – understood? She disappeared from history on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m. in Dealy Plaza, please let’s leave me and my red headscarf in Dallas!”
The room fell dead silent. All heads were bowed; the message had been received loud and clear.
Captain Scarburg regained the podium, “Okay, enough said on that subject. Now, as you all can see, we are left with a huge dilemma and a large responsibility – what should we do with our information since we have the facts, and we have the proof, especially the tape that Lonnie Joe and Rocky made of the meeting in Ruby’s Carousel Club with the CIA agents and the Mafia. No judge or jury in the world could question the validity of our findings.”
“Okay, remember we all voted whether to go to Dallas or not, well we’re going to vote again.” Taking out a box of marbles, the Captain picked out twenty-eight - two for each person present. One white the other black. He instructed everyone, “You have one white marble and one black marble. As the black velvet bag passes around the table, indicate your vote as to whether we should make our data public. Remember it has been forty-nine years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Would it serve any purpose to expose the deep, dark secrets that have remained hidden for almost a half-century?
“I do not know the right answer, so we are going to vote. And the vote must be unanimous - a white ball will indicate you want SCAR to store our data and say nothing... a single black marble will mean SCAR releases the information and we will let the chips fall where they may. There is one caveat if we release: Olive Marie as the “Babushka Lady” and her O.M. Film will never, repeat never, be released by SCAR!! We can never admit we were in Dallas that fateful day.”
“Krista, you vote first and pass the bag to the next person.” Around the table, the bag moved from one person to the next. The last to vote was Captain Scarburg. Holding the bag in one hand he announced, “Well, I guess all that is left is to count the votes... remember one BLACK marble, and we release our findings to the world.”
Reaching into the bag, he withdrew a marble and held it between his thumb and forefinger for all to see. It was a white marble, into the bag again - another white marble. He pulled marble after marble out of the bag, all white until only one was left. The mood in the room was so thick with tension it could be cut with a knife - the suspense was nerve-racking. Captain Scarburg slipped his hand into the bag for the last time, out came his brawny fist clenching tightly the last marble. Slowly he released his grip and held up the marble for all to see – it was… it was not BLACK.
“LETS GO HOME”
Applause broke out around the room, which was broken only by the speaker on the Interoffice Communication System. It was Bobby the guard at the front desk. “Sorry to bother you Captain Scarburg... I know you are in an important meeting, but there are some visitors here at the main entrance who are demanding to see you.”
“Give them my regrets Bobby and ask them to make an appointment. I am too busy to see anyone at this time...”
Interrupting the Captain, the guard responded, “I’m sorry sir, but the older gentlemen asked me to tell you:
♪Thru many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that bro’t me safe thus far, and Grace will lead me home.♪
Does this mean something to you sir? The old gentleman believed you might recognize it.”
What! Thought Captain Scarburg, that’s... that’s... ‘Amazing Grace’, “Yes Bobby, very much, would you please provide them with a personal escort up to the conference room immediately? Do not delay them any longer, bring them up right away!!”
The room grew quiet; everyone looked at each other. Olive Marie, Rocky, Forrest, Bud and Lou cast a knowing look toward the Captain as he walked to the door of the conference room. They too had instantly recognized the ‘Amazing Grace’ lyrics Captain Scarburg spoke before boarding Pegasus for the return home.
Spook turned to the SCAR personnel at the table, “What’s going on?” he quizzically asked. A couple of negative headshakes and a shoulder shrug indicated they had no idea either. Forrest spoke up quietly, “You all will find out in a minute.”
“This cannot be happening,” said the Captain as he heard the footsteps echoing off the hard tiles in the hallway just outside. The steps were getting louder... they were approaching the door.
Lady aroused by the sound of the footsteps on the floor picked her head up and began whimpering; suddenly she sprang to her feet. Her ears were up and alert as she began wagging her tail. Still whimpering, she was apprehensive of the approaching footsteps, her nails clicked on the floor as she trotted across the room and joined the Captain at the door.
Slowly the handle to the room began to turn - all eyes were on it. The door began to open, slowly at first, then suddenly the door swung open and there in the hallway were an... an... old man, an elderly woman and Lonnie Joe Wheeler, but Lonnie Joe was so young looking. Next to Lonnie Joe stood an attractive woman and a young man about ten or twelve years of age. The old man clutched a walking stick, and the old woman was sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by a younger looking Lonnie Joe. “By-ned,” the Captain said, “By-ned, it is you Clem, isn’t it? It truly is you.”
As he spoke, Lady ran past the Captain and with one mighty leap jumped from the floor into the lap of the old woman.
“Lady, is this you, my little girl,” said the woman patting Lady’s head. “Oh, how I have missed you so. You look just as pretty as you did the day you left me, oh, so many years ago.”
Turning to the amazed group sitting at the table, the Captain announced, “Folks I would like to introduce you to Clem and Penelope Ruby,” he said turning and gesturing, “our good friends from Celina, Texas. I do not know these other folks,” Captain Scarburg said motioning to the others at the door, “Clem will have to introduce them. Clem, you and Penelope, know most everyone here except Krista. She is Bud, Lou, Olive Marie and Forrest’s mother. Next to her is my son, Krista’s husband Trey and next to him is our chief engineer Mike Watkins. The next chair is my dear friend Dr. Spurgeon Loo Kim, better known to all of us as Spook, and then there is Tinker, Spook’s wife. Her given name is really Ling Lu. She got that nickname... no... no some other time,” he said laughing. “There’s Sam Lin and Si Lei, Spooks brothers, and Rocky Jollett you already know. Next to him is my wife Barbara or Baba as everyone calls her.”
Waving to the group Clem said laughing, “Howdy, good to see y’all again - I just wish we had some of them “young” pills that y’all have been taking.”
“Before you say another word Clem, tell us about Lonnie Joe. This young man is the spitting image of him. Where is LJ anyway?”
“I’m sorry Captain... Lonnie passed away in 2002. A while after y’all left Lonnie Joe married Penelope, and they have one son... let me introduce you to my nephew and Godson, Lonnie Joe Wheeler Jr. and, of course, you know his mother and my sister, Mrs. Penelope Ruby Wheeler, and this beautiful woman is June, Lonnie Junior’s wife, and this handsome fellow is none other than Lonnie Joe Wheeler the III, we call him Trey too. Guess some of your habits rubbed off on us too.”
“Well, by-ned,” said Captain Scarburg. “Nice to meet you all. Lonnie Joe or is it LJ? Your Dad was a fine man,” and grinning as he shook the young man’s hand said, “and not a half bad doctor either.” Looking down at the wheelchair, “Penelope Ruby Wheeler! Well, by-ned... by ned...” was all he could say as he leaned over and placed a loving kiss on her old, wrinkled cheek.
“Thank you Captain Scarburg,” answered Lonnie Joe Jr., “but most folks just call me Dr. Lonnie J. I took over Dad’s medical practice in Celina, but he will always be the only ‘LJ’. I’m following after my Father’s footsteps as a doctor, I suppose, but he will keep the ‘LJ’ name. It’s nice finally to meet you all too, my folks have talked about y’all all of my life. I do not believe a day has gone by that your name Captain Scarburg or one of the others there at the table has not been mentioned in our home. I’ve always wondered what you would look like.”
“Captain, you would have been proud of Lonnie Joe he was Celina’s town doctor for many a year. Everyone thought the world of ole Doc Wheeler. A tornado came tearing through the town back in ’86, and if not for LJ’s doctoring, no tellin’ how many town folks we would have lost, he kept saying during that trying time how he wished y’all could be there to give him a hand,” Clem interjected.
“Clem I was always proud of LJ, he was a good friend. Wait a minute,” interrupted the Captain, “your talking like you actually remembered us when we came to Celina back in ’63?”
“At first we didn’t Captain, but as the days and months wore on it seemed like, with LJ’s help, our memory of y’all slowly returned. In a year, or so we remembered you all.”
“Well, we were under the impression your memories would be totally erased thirty minutes after Pegasus left. Guess it wasn’t true, huh?”
“No, Captain, I believe it was. You see, a few years later I met up with Linda Lou Dearmann, remember her from the Carousel Club? I hinted around about the day me and you went in and talked to Uncle Jack, you recall? You recall she told us about them mobsters sitting with Uncle Jack.”
“By-ned Clem, do I ever.”
“Anyway, it was the day you got arrested for stealing them overhalls and the red shirt, but you know, Linda Lou had no recollection of that day at all. Didn’t even remember you givin’ her that counterfeit ten-dollar bill.”
“Now Clem, you know that wasn’t counterfeit!”
“Yes, Captain we know,” said Penelope grinning. “Captain, for all these past, many, many years I think of you every time I prepare chicken and dumplings, and I cannot eat turnips and pork chops unless my thoughts are with you and those two sweet grandchildren of yours.” Looking at Olive Marie and Forrest, her old, weathered face lit up like a light. Managing a wistful smile she waved and with her raspy voice said, “Hello kids, good to see you again. You look like you haven’t aged a day.”
Olive Marie leaned over and whispered into Forrest’s ear, “Heck, we haven’t!”
“Come on into the conference room Clem, Penelope, Lonnie J, Joe, June and Trey. We were just rehashing our visit to the Ponderosa. Do you still have the Ponderosa?”
“Well, yes and no Captain,” Clem answered, “you see after y’all left us in the cow-pasture, you know, at the time of the blizzard back in ‘63; I got to talking to Penelope and Lonnie J on the way back to the Ponderosa. You know through...”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, through Saddlehorn Gulch...”
“Right you are, Saddlehorn Gulch, I said, ‘Penelope you know with what we have seen today I believe the Captain has been telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...,’ I got that part from you... remember? LJ was adamant you wouldn’t tell us nothing but the truth, and that you stood for truth, justice and the American way.”
“By-ned Clem, the way you’re talking I believe I need to get me a cape.”
“Aw shucks Captain, anyway, when we got back to the Ponderosa I pulled that piece of writtin’ paper out of Penelope’s valuables box, and me and Lonnie Joe went into town first thing Monday morning and mortgaged the Ponderosa for all the money I could get. I even sold Penelope’s old Nash Rambler, and I hate to say it Captain, I even sold your gold Rolex watch that was give to you by your men in Vietnam.
“We took the money we raised and wagered every last penny of it on that Iron Bowl football game between your Alabama team and those Auburn Tigers you told me about. LJ hated to wager against his ole Crimson Tide, but we needed the money, bad. And Penelope, she was mad jest because we bet the money, you know she still gos to church and all, and don’t believe in that kind of gamblin’ stuff, but Captain we made a killin’. Penelope, LJ and I made so much money on that Iron Bowl that I went to see Mr. Larry Brock, and I bought that cow-pasture of his and all of the four thousand five hundred acres that went with it, he even throwed in that old, green, Ford pick-up truck and your Army Jeep. I still got’em – keep’em for sentimental reasons.
“A few months after I bought the ranch a gigantic, new pond of oil was discovered right under our land, in an oil field that them experts thought had been pumped dry... we’ve been pumping oil there ever since.
“You remember the spot, with the stump, where your flying machine landed. Well, I built me a brand new house right on that very spot, of course the view is not as good as from the Ponderosa, but when I look out and see all them oil wells I just return to the house and find me some purty views in magazines, and if I get real homesick I go down to the Ponderosa and spend a few days with LJ and Penelope. I give the Ponderosa to them and I give a couple thousand acres to Lonnie J and June. They built them a house in that grove of hardwood trees on the way back to the main road. You remember it, don’t you? They call their ranch ‘Red Oak’.”
“Clem, you bet I do. Lonnie J and June, that magnificent seventy-five foot red oak right in the middle of that stand of trees was indescribably beautiful – I can see building a home there and the name fits perfectly.”
“Once all that oil money started flowing in, we got filthy rich. I hired a couple of people to come over and teach Penelope and me how to act and talk lik
e proper city folks. They taught us how to talk, and how to hold a cup with our little pinkie sticking out. LJ helped out a lot too, you know, he was such a smart fellow. That was okay, but we used a lot of our money to help other poor folks that needed help. We even have a foundation that monitors and keeps up with finding needy people, and givin’ them money. We call it ‘The SCAR Foundation’. For all these past years, we have been waiting for you and your flying machine to come back, but you never did; however, we never gave up hope that one-day y’all would return. By the way, I found that handsome metal plaque you left next to that stump when I was building my new Ponderosa, which I now call the Ponderosa Too, catchy name huh, Captain?”
“Yeah, I get it Clem, catchy!”
“Well, anyways, I had the architect mount that plaque on a marble pedestal that sits in a flower garden in my front yard. I did not understand what the symbols on it meant, but I knew that round hunk of brass was important to you, so I made a special place for it. Underneath the bronze plaque I had them write, ‘The Scarburgs Can Always Return’ and the date November 23, 1963. People have asked for years what the plaque and the S.C.A.R. name actually means, we just grin and say, ‘that’s for us to know and for you to find out.’
“LJ told us, way back in ’63 that we wouldn’t be able to come see you until 2:57 on the afternoon of the 7th of December 2012. Today is the morning of the 8th of December 2012 we wanted to get here bright and early. Captain, we’ve been waiting forty-nine years to see you again. So we just wanted to come by and tell you in person how much you have meant to us, and how much Penelope and LJ appreciated what you did. I just wanted you to know also LJ was a happy and contented person living with us. I don’t believe he ever regretted staying with Penelope.
“Oh, one other thing,” Clem said reaching into his pocket, “I want to give this back – those fellows of yours thought a lot of you Captain, and wanted you to have this.” Saying that he turned the watch over and read, “To Capt Robert Edward Scarburg, Jr. 5th SF (ABN), RVN, 1968.” Handing the watch to Captain Scarburg, “Returned to its rightful owner, Captain Robert Edward Scarburg, Jr., our friend then, now and for always,” he said bowing. “And in perfect repair and running smoothly. We would love to stay and talk, but now I’m sorry Captain, we must get going.”
“Wait, you can’t leave, you just got here.”
“Sorry we have to go, we promised Trey we’d take him to Disneyworld, might even get to spend them ten-dollar bills and quarters y’all left us! Just kidding, you know I’d never part with them,” turning toward the door Clem looked over his shoulder and raising his hand in a salute to Captain Scarburg said feebly,
“♪Tis Grace that bro’t me safe thus far, and Grace will lead me home♪”
“Come on Lady, let’s go home.”
With a wag of her tail, out the door ran the little, sable and white sheepdog happily walking beside her two, old, grey-haired masters.
The time was... was...
Well the only time we have is TODAY... the best day of anyone’s life... yesterday, the past, is forever gone... and tomorrow, the future, might never come...
Remember time is not a straight line... we cannot live in the past, we have not seen the future, we must only enjoy the present.
What is that sound heard off in the distance – bagpipes...?
♪When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise,
Than when we first begun.♪
THE END
Other books by Larry Hunt
The P.H.O.T.O. –
The Search (Vol 1)
(A Scarburg Family Adventure)
Print ISBN: 1456432192
“Spell-binding novel written by a master craftsman of the English language with a fathomless mind for science fiction, the military, and somewhat of the occult. I could not put the book down till I had consumed it and discovered the truth of the “The P.H.O.T.O”!! If you believe in Alien technology and the U.S. Government has secrets they do not want known, then this is the novel for you! I do hope that there is a follow on book. Great read and I highly recommend!” L. J. T.
The P.H.O.T.O. –
The Saga Continues (Vol 2)
(A Scarburg Family Adventure)
Digital ISBN: 978-1458180094
“The Scarburgs escape the confines of the jungles of Southeast Asia with the secrets of The P.H.O.T.O. and develop and staff a Washington based black-ops facility know only as S.C.A.R. (Studies Concerning Antiquated Records). This top-secret group uses S.C.A.R. to research and explain events in the Earth’s past history that the Aliens help create.”
21 November 2012 – The Calendar Beckons
(A Scarburg Family Adventure)
Print ISBN: 1463605226
“This adventure finds the Scarburg family, now working for the S.C.A.R. facility, led by Captain Robert Scarburg, Jr., traveling to Mexico and Egypt to find and unravel the mysterious message the Aliens left as a warning thousands of years ago – 21 December 2012 and its disastrous consequences.”
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends