39
As the evening wound down, Nelle and Truman watched Big Boy challenge Sonny to a bobbing-for-apples contest. “Well, looks like you got your wish, Tru,” said Nelle.
“How’s that?” he said, stroking Queenie on his lap.
“You pulled off a party that nobody will ever forget.”
He smiled, nudged her in the shoulder. “We pulled it off,” he said.
Nelle smiled. “Yes, we did.”
They stared up at the stars overhead. The music was playing, Little Bit and Sook were dancing a jig on the porch, and Black John White and Bud were resting against a tree, eating cake. Queenie slept like a baby.
“Your daddy’s quite something,” said Truman. “Did you see him stare down the Grand Dragon? I think there might be a story there.”
“Well, what’re we gonna do about our typewriter?” she asked. “Now that you’re leaving and all.”
Truman thought about it. “You keep it. I expect to see that story when I come back for a visit. Besides, my new dad promised to get me one.”
Nelle nodded. “Fine, I’ll write one story. But then you gotta write two.”
“Fine.”
He glanced over at the Tri-Motor airplane standing next to them and grew quiet. “Someday . . . I’ll take you away from here, Nelle. Just the two of us,” he said solemnly.
“Sure,” she said. “We’ll go far away, maybe up in the clouds, and just sail around and watch everybody below.”
He laughed, running his hands along the green wings. “Maybe we should go on one last trip together before I leave?”
Nelle stepped up next to the plane. “Okay. But where’s your plane gonna take us?”
He lowered himself into the cockpit and tested the pedals. “I dunno. If you push me hard enough and jump on in time, I’ll bet we can make enough speed to get us to . . . Morocco!”
“You think?”
He shrugged. “We’ll never know until we try.” He dug out his goggles and cap from his jacket pocket and pulled them onto his head.
Truman held up his finger to test the wind as Nelle steadied herself behind him. “I’m gonna miss you, Streckfus,” she said.
He shook his head. “I’m gonna miss you more, Na-il Har-puh!”
And with that, she gave him the biggest push ever, jumped on the back of Truman’s plane, and held on for dear life.
The End