Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

phone company… they keep putting me off! And I do want… to talk to you! Always want to talk to you! I miss that! But, they keep telling me, that the materials… the stuff, that they use to make the damn phones… well, they’re always telling me… saying that it takes forever, to just get their devious little hands on one!”

“Takes forever? I’ve never heard that used before either!”

“Anyway,” he continued—ignoring her latest comment, “I guess that… along with the unavailability of the stupid instruments, themselves… a whole lot, of new people, are flocking into town! To work… you know… in the war plants! So, that’s a whole new demand… that, I guess, they were never expecting. Plus, they’re also having a lot of trouble… just finding qualified people, to install the damn things! So, it’s just…”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I guess I can understand that!”

“Well, you’re a helluva lot more understanding… than I am! But, they’re promising me, faithfully, that they’ll install one… on Wednesday! Actually, they promised that… to Susie! You wanna talk about a bear? She’s been a bear! On ’em… all the time! The Bear! I’m sure that… everyone down, at Michigan Bell . . . they all see her, as a Grade-A, pain-in-the-fanny! That’s her hope, anyway!”

“I betcha. I don’t really know her. Not that well, anyway! But, I’d suspect that she could . . . if she ever wanted to… she could really become quite a pain-in-the-fanny.”

“Anyway, your days of peaceful neglect, are fixing to come to a merciless end… in three short days. Start counting!”

“I’ll be happy . . . very happy… for the peaceful neglect, to be over! I sure miss your calls. I guess I could understand it… from a, not-having-a-telephone, point of view. But, Jason? Jason… all the way over here, tonight… I couldn’t get you to say anything! That made me wonder! Wonder… if I was still your bona fide girlfriend.”

“Of course you are! Of course you are! If anyone should be worried… about our relationship coming to an end . . . it should be me!”

“Our relationship? We have a… a relationship?”

“Yes! Yes, of course! Listen, Valerie…”

“I like ‘Honey’ better!”

“Listen, Honey! You are the most beautiful . . . most wonderful . . . girl! The most wonderful woman… that I’ve ever met! The best thing . . . that’s ever happened to me! Ever! I couldn’t even tell you… who’d be in second place! You are so remarkable! So beautiful! So…”

“Okay! Oh-KAY! You’ve convinced me! I just wish you’d say it… say this kind of stuff… say it, a little more often!”

“Oh,” he sighed—heavily. “You know me! Valerie… Honey . . . I’ve never been, with a girl! Never been. y’know… with a woman . . . before! I really don’t know how to act! How to act . . . when it comes right down to it! I really don’t!”

“Well, for one thing, you could learn… learn to be a bit more… ah… forward! A little more… ah… aggressive! Outside of some serious hand-holding, and a few kisses . . . and, of course, that one slap, on my bottom… there hasn’t been much! Don’t get me wrong! As I’d told you before, I’m not inviting you to my bed! Far from that! But, this much, of a really platonic romance… so called… well, that sort of thing, leaves much to be desired!”

“Listen, Valerie! Listen… Honey! I’ve been… I’ve been trying . . . been trying to figure out… figure out, just how to… well, exactly how to… to ask you to… to, well… to marry me!”

It was at that precise moment—that the referee decided to drop the puck! For the opening faceoff! The game was underway! The crowd was in the midst of going wild!

“How romantic,” she half-shouted—to be heard, above the deafening “riot”! Fortunately, she was smiling! Broadly! “All this moonlit-garden stuff,” she added. “Stuff like shimmering waters… on a picturesque lake! Who needs that! I choose to be proposed to, in the balcony . . . at some raucous hockey game!”

“Look, Honey! I’m afraid that it’ll take a while… before we can actually tie the knot! That is… if you’re actually accepting my hokey little proposal! Like I hope you are! I simply cannot continue… not indefinitely… to subject myself, to all the damnable physical crap! Not indefinitely! That means that I’m gonna have to… have to find another line of work! Hopefully, it’ll be the radio thing! I’ve also got a monthly rental payment to make, these days! I’ve never had that . . . to contend with before! I did, though, pay cash, y’know… for the car! But…”

“Jason? You will look? Look… for another job, I mean? I so worry about you! About your health . . . ever since you’d told me, about your situation, at your new job site.”

He’d phoned Valerie—on the previous Thursday—from the payphone, at the drugstore. on Grand River and Ohio. Mainly to apologize—for not being able to call her more often (although, in those days, a phone call did cost a whole, entire, nickel)!

The hockey date had been set—as the call had gone on! He’d wound up regretting the fact that he’d undoubtedly “gone far too deeply” with her! Far too descriptively—when it had come to the draining, exhausting, physical requirements, that were being demanded, of him! The exhausting pace required—by the new, till-then-unknown, Herman Gardens project.

The reason he’d not been very talkative—during the couple’s ride, to the Sunday game (in his “sanctified” Dodge)—was that he was, during those moments, beginning to formulate a plan!

Trying to put together a workable campaign! A campaign—to unshackle himself, from his overwhelming, present-employment, predicament! He was not ready—to share his almost-plan! Not with anyone! Not even with “the lovely… and beautiful… Valerie”!

Actually—truth to tell—the mental exercise was not, at that point, a totally certifiable mode of escape! Was—very likely—fraught with a multitude of uncertainties!

In any case, the remarkable Sunday night hockey date had taken on a positive ingredient, for Jason—no matter which team would go on to win the game! The more he’d thought about it, the more inconsequential the score of the game—and/or the presence, of all those “living legends”—had become!

The couple would, eventually, settle in. Shamelessly holding hands. For the duration—of the exciting