Troll Brother
Page 53
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When they got home, the two boys and Rick worked through lunch to assemble the helicopter. Robert had settled on a model of a military copter called the Chinook with twin rotors. He really wanted the model Apache, but Dad insisted that they start with a little cheaper model that they wouldn’t regret too badly if it had an accident. And as he pondered, Rob thought it might be cool to have a truly large copter to land in the Maple Springs Airfield. It was likely to get a lot of attention since there was nothing else like it he’d seen flying in and out of the little meadow above town.
Kile was practically turning cartwheels, or trying to with his lengthy arms and short legs in the back yard as Robert first spun up the blades on the twin-rotored, bulky helicopter. The thing had not been painted yet, but since the whole fuselage was molded in a military green the boys wanted to try it out as soon as possible. Mom and Dad were watching too as it slowly raised from the cement patio. Rob was determined to take it slow and make sure he understood how flight with his controller would work, especially after all the cautions his father had given him.
“Look at it Robbie!” Kile shouted.
“I am, ya doofus!” The “D” word had now become a term of endearment between the two, and more likely than not, would be used equally so with Little Ricky when he returned. Both boys were smiling.
“It’s huge! It looks like an eagle!” Kile continued.
The lengthy Chinook certainly was large. It was also intimidating to have such a bulky plastic model hovering in the middle of the yard. Even Evan’s old glider model that had a 47” wingspan was going to over-all look small next to the military copter taking off and landing in the Maple Springs Airfield. Rob was very pleased with his selection. He was much more a copter guy than a plane guy.
As Robert slowly edge the right hand stick upwards the helicopter pitched ever so slightly and moved forward a few feet. He let the stick retract by spring into its centered position and as the helicopter stopped its own forward motion he then flicked the same stick to the right. The helicopter turned to the right and stopped when Rob released it pointing straight at them at about eight or nine feet off the lawn.
“Wow! It’s like one of those robots on the movies you showed me, Robbie!” Kile sidled up to Rob and stood mesmerized.
The two stood in place as Robert motioned the copter straight towards them and had it pass over their heads slowly. The racket from the blades was exciting and the downdraft blew in their faces as it passed overhead. For the first time in his life, Robert discovered the joy of controlling a machine, and for the first time in Kile’s he could make the connection between the assemblage of parts to make a whole. For him, cars and airplanes no longer held the mystic of human “magic” but carried a whole new level of excitement. It would be something that stuck with him for a decade until he had an opportunity to try driving both a motorcycle and a snowmobile.
Once the copter had circled around and hovered in front of the boys from the starting position, Robert relaxed his hold on the controller. He caught his father’s eye, who, while sipping his iced tea, gave his oldest son a nod to confirm. Whatever resulted from what Rob was considering, he knew Dad would make sure they could recover. In the back of his mind, he sort of registered that even in a worst-case scenario, he might end up just having to get a new helicopter and try something different.
“Kile?” the boy asked without looking.
“Yeah?” the troll said, still breathlessly watching the hovering copter.
“Would you like to give it a try?”
At first Kile did nothing, he just keep marveling at the flying monstrosity. Then he slowly turned to look at his human brother. He licked his lips and smiled faintly. “Do you mean it, Robert? I’m not as good at controlling things as you are.”
“Yes. I want you to take a turn,” Rob looked down at the little faerie and smiled. He patted him on the head. “Besides…if I can’t trust you, who helped me get it and build it, I definitely won’t be able to trust Little Ricky. And you think I’m going to be able to keep his hands off?”
“Thank you!” Kile said with an itch and a tingle in his throat. He took the controller from Robert gingerly. “I’m nervous.”
The troll’s glance flicked from Robert to the hovering toy while the human gave him a few instructions. When ready, they laughed when the helicopter zoomed considerably quicker than either expected towards them. Despite being a couple feet above them still, they both ducked, and then laughed together when they stood and turned to regain control and help Kile fly around the yard in a circuit.
Rick turned to his wife and put his free arm around her shoulder, smiling. “You know? You’ve raised a good boy there.”
“Yes,” Sara replied. “I think he’s growing up to be a good young man.”
“Probably about time we figure out how the other one’s coming along, then, don’t you think?”
Mrs. Johansson’s smile faltered just a bit. But she made herself stalwart and replied, “Yes. I agree. How will we do it?”
“I’m going to go with them.”
Mother looked at father considering how that might go over. He continued before she could determine a response.
“And I’ll be taking my rifle,” he said, taking one last sip of his drink and then looking at his companion.
She looked at his face for a moment. Then she added, “And I’m going too.”
He nodded. “Thought you might. We need to develop a strategy for any contingencies then.”
Before the evening fell too dark or the battery on the helicopter ran down, Mom ran into the home and brought back out a camera. She was glad Kile didn’t have his glimmer active, and took several photos to keep in the family scrap book.