by J.R. Bowles
CHAPTER 64
“Would one of ya’ll pass some of them butter beans.” Bernie said drawing out the words in a poor imitation of the Roanoke accent.
“It’s butta beans.” Jackie said correcting his pathetic attempt.
“Butta beans.” He repeated.
At that moment a woman came into the hotel’s restaurant pushing a large birthday cake.
The group broke into several rounds of “Happy Birthday to Us.” They all applauded and cheered.
Jamal sat back in the dining room chair staring across the table at Mindy. He wasn’t sure what to think now.
“What’s the matter Billy are you feeling left out?” Zolar asked.
Billy looked up with a sheepish shit eating grin on his face and mumbled, “It’s my birthday too.”
“What?” Zolar asked rhetorically. “Hey everybody, listen up! Today’s Billy’s birthday. Who would have thought it?”
“Happy Birthday! Billy.” They yelled and fell into the birthday song again.
Even Thomas joined the camaraderie. He felt the elation the others had been feeling. The past week had paid its toll on all of their nerves and they were ready to let off a little steam.
“Hey everybody here comes Billy's favorite drink.” Jackie said.
“Vodka, tonic with a twist of lime.” Several of them chorused in.
Billy almost giggled but caught himself from such an unmanly act and gave a loud guffaw instead.
Michael stood up. “Ladies and gentleman, let's have a toast.”
“A toast,” Bernie said rising to his feet.
The rest of them stood.
“Billy are you old enough to drink, or should we order him a Shirley Temple?” Morgan asked.
The others laughed.
“Yeah, finally.” He answered and scrunched up his face at her.
“I would like to propose a toast to John.” Michael began. “To the man that made this day possible….”
“To John,” Morgan said. “A great lover.”
“To John, a true friend.” Billy said.
“To John,” Zolar lifted his glass. “Too bad he couldn't be here.”
“We've all got to go sometime.” Bernie interjected clinking glasses with Jackie and leaned down and kissed her.
“Somebody get a bucket of water.” Zolar called out.
“To bad John's got to miss this party.” Kumara smiled broadly in her Becky form. “Thomas why don't you and I get together later for a little religious discussion?”
Thomas sputtered for a few moments and then finally said with half a smile. “Let me think about it.”
“To John,” Jamal lifted his glass of vodka and sipped. “And I would like to make another toast.” He petted the kitten Azid under the chin. “To Azid, savior of the universe.”
The other's lifted their glasses and joined in the toast. “To Azid,” They repeated.
Every head turned to look at Mindy.
“What?” She said. “Did I put my make up on wrong, or something? What do you expect? I'm just getting use to this body and I'm not sure I even like it.”
“Hey, it's hard for me to get use to you.” Jamal said. “There's no damn way I'm going to call you Azid.”
“You better stick to Mindy.” Morgan said. “At least she had identification and from the way she spent money, she must have had a good bank account to.”
“Azid.” Chesaka said very seriously. “Mindy has plenty of money. But I would like to add that I would be honored to call you granddaughter.”
The others broke into roaring laughter. They laughed so hard some of them began to cough.
As the laughter died down, Thomas joined into the humor. “Azid,” he said, “at least you didn't have to go to Sweden.”
Again they broke into laughter. Not so much at Azid but at Thomas's attempt at humor.
A waiter came in carrying a phone and walked up to Michael. “Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt you but you have a phone call, he said it was important.”
Michael took the phone offered.
“Hello.” He said into the receiver.
“I glad to hear you made it there okay.”
“Sure, I'll tell them. By the way you're missing a fun birthday party.” He paused. “Don't worry so much. I'll make all of the arrangements.”
Michael hung up the phone. They were looking at him in curiosity.
“He made it back to New York okay. He wants us all to get together to discuss this as soon as everybody has some free time.”
“I know I've got to be back to the ship day after tomorrow.” Jackie sighed. “When does your leave run out Billy?”
“Day after tomorrow.” He answered looking around the table. “I'm going to miss all of you. I feel like I've know you all my life.”
“Which life?” Bernie asked. “This one or the few million lives before?”
“Oh Morgan.” Michael looked over at her. “John said he will meet you at the Castleton before you go back to work.”
“Sounds fine.” Morgan said rather unenthusiastically and reached over under the table and rubbed Billy's leg from his knee up to his crotch.
Billy's eyes widened and he almost choked but he didn't say anything.
“Too bad he had to go back to Governors Island to iron out some more problems with the Coast Guard.” Thomas said.
“That's government bureaucracy for you.” Jackie nodded.
“Well I've got to be getting back to work too.” Bernie said.
“Oh?” Jackie raised her eyebrows. “I had been wondering how a heart surgeon could take so much time off?”
He grinned. “I just got the job and start on the 5th of July.”
“Well I don't have to be anywhere until the end of August.” Zolar said leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.
“Professors!” Jackie said rolling her eyes. “We get thirty days a year in the Coast Guard but you get all summer.”
“Yeah but we don't get paid for it.” Zolar protested.
“I'll trade you salaries.” Billy volunteered and chuckled.
“Thomas, how about you?” Morgan asked.
He inhaled and thought for a moment. “Well, I guess I'll go back to my church but I've got a lot of rethinking to do.”
“Jackie,” Bernie said, “can I continue to see you?”
“You better.” She leaned over and kissed him which brought some hoots from the others.
“I've made flight reservations for everyone that needed it.” Michael said and then turned to Kumara. “We don't know when or where we will meet you. You seem to turn up just about anywhere.”
“You never know Michael, you never know.” She said.
“There's just one more thing I want to know.” Michael paused for everyone's attention.
They all became quiet and waited for him to speak.
“What I want to know is there any way we can get Rudy out of hell?”
Morgan cleared her throat and spoke. “I have a question for you. Where did Mindy go?”
They each looked at each other none knowing the answer.
