Love is in the Air #3

here is the third chapter enjoy

Adding the key word "Jane" here so it will come up in search


Love is in the Air Chapter 3 The Salvadorian Gringo Harvest

The bill comes to the table, it reads $160.00 US dollars for 8 drinks. One of Bill's new acquaintances say's "there ain't no way we are paying this bill". The bar tender is summoned and the bill is challenged. He looks at Bill and the other four men, and then glances over his shoulder at the couple bare machetes and now about 10 more Salvadorians between them and the door and says "you pay this". Bill, the oldest of this group, gets their attention and reasons that yes this is going to be an experience to learn from and remember, and then thinks to himself that it would be an experience to tell the grandkids about someday, not too proudly, but at least would be best for them not to read in the papers about. Bill reasons that they were maybe 5 miles inside lawless territory and that they could be skinned and quartered here in the next 5 minutes and never heard from again. The money is paid with no gratuity. They move toward the door. The bartender tells the Salvadorians something in Spanish and they allow the gringo's to pass through their ranks and out the door. The cab is there and away go the freshly harvested seed men back to town.

The next day the owner of the cattle ranch and processing plant tells Bill and a few other of the group, things are not looking good in his country these days. He say's civil rights lawyers from the US have messed things up pretty good for him and his family who migrated here a hundred years before. He said he now spends his time at the plant, always carrying a sidearm. And his home is now guarded by 4 towers of guards with shotguns. That afternoon as they return to town much gunfire is heard in a couple parts of the town. By the next day the revolutionaries have taken over the Red Cross building and a couple other government buildings. The guide tells the group that the police he has talked to say it will be OK and that they feel it safe to stay the full 5 days. The following day the city is more quiet and the group loads onto an old narrow gauge open air wooden passenger train with a steam engine for a trip about 30 miles into the mountains. It is 90 plus degrees and all aboard would love a cold drink. And lots of coke is on board, but it is 90 plus degrees also! The train stops to pick up some Salvadorians and someone throws a huge block of ice on the train floor. Oh boy! Bill say's, "get those cups and cokes open, we have ice", and the ice is chipped into small pieces enough for all to enjoy a really cold drink. Bill notices as he enjoys his coke that most carts are pulled by oxen and light loads are on the tops of the women's heads. He also notices and remarks how happy these people seem to be having nothing. "I bet they don't know what a migraine headache is down here", he laughs.

That night another great banquet with lots of drinks is enjoyed and goes down easily it seems and helps to at least ease the tensions of the guest. A few guest notice some diahria setting in. One guest becomes a wild man and throws a couple women into the pool. His name was Bill, but not our Bill, this was Wild Bill. The wives move away from the pools edge, but this does not stop Wild Bill, he simplly scoops them up and runs to the pool and goes in with them! Bill is glad that Jane is back in Chicago fighting snow not wild Bill.. The next morning at the breakfast buffet one could look up at the 10 stories of balconies behind the crescent shaped hotel, and see the five evening dresses and wild Bill's suit drying out on the railings. After breakfast, plans were to visit a coffee plantation, but before the buses could be loaded more people started making very often and very quick visits to the restrooms. Those 90% that had enjoyed the cold drink on the train had seen the "Revenge of Montezuma", that had been hidden in that nice cold ice, including our Bill. It was not a pretty sight. The fifth day finally rolled around and the "gastorically wounded", moved onto the buses for the ride to the airport. After a long debate between the tour guide and the military, the passports were exchanged for some of the items they had purchased for souvenirs that was declared contraband and possibly even some corporate money Bill suspects. Three of the group were carried on and then off the plane again on stretchers. As the plane lifted off a huge cheer that would have eclipsed the one in Chicago went up, probably heard back at the airport. Arrival back at O'Hare found the airport only open for a day and at least an hour of about 3 or 4 levels of circular holding patterns before landing. A year later Bill was reading Newsweek and saw a familiar face. The cattle ranch owner had been charged for walking into a bar and shooting two US civil rights lawyers to death.

To be continued with Chapter 4

Recountance, Recovery and Romance