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.
Love was in the Air........#4 Recountance, Recovery and Romance
On the flight north from El Salvador Bill recounts his experiences and thinks to himself what a 'gold mine' the Salvadorian people are setting on as a great prospective tourism industry. Who could beat dry 90 degree warmth in January days and 60 degree nights for great sleeping, and not bar hopping. This unrest in the country would surely kill the tourism that had been started, but the friendliness of the commoners on the "day time" streets and workers around the hotel, would surely some day again make San Salvador a good winter haven he thinks. He has a couple of the "machetes" he slipped out of the country that will surely be "memorable" to him for quite sometime to come.
Bill's arrival home is good, the kids are glad to have him home, and get rid of the older couple sitting them and get back to normal as normal goes with this household. And Bill having thanked the Lord, is very glad to be home. Bill tells the family of the really nice gal he met at the local airport, the real nice weather, the nice people and all of the excitement, except the "big lesson" trip he and 4 others took into the country side. He figures maybe in 25 years from now he could put a better spin on that story. He calls his local doctor and tells him he needs big time help getting rid of the severe case of "Montezuma’s" that has stayed with him and shows no sign of giving up. A strong prescription and maybe another week of staying not far from the house, and Bill finally kicks the bug that joined him on the train ride into the mountains. He comes across that phone number he had gotten in Chicago and calls the blonde in the black coat named Jane. He leaves a message on her answer machine and a few days later Jane returns his call. She has been on the road with her job of promoting window glass for auto's for her employer. She had been traveling the state that week calling on insurance agents and auto body shops, dropping off golf balls and info and keeping the company name fresh in their memories. Unbeknown to Bill she had visited his little town and inquired of him at a local insurance agency. She had found that he really was "not married," as she had suspected that he was probably married . Had found out he was a "working farmer" as declared; and as far as was known, a decent guy. She shared with Bill that she had as it turned out gotten a five day stay in Chicago instead of 2 because of the closure of the airport and storm. A date was made for the next weekend as she was pretty tired and needed to rest up and do her housework, but would maybe not be as tired then. The Friday night arrived and Bill showed up in his "family" car a Chevy wagon, as the '79 T-Bird he had told Jane about had not arrived yet. Jane said, "no problem, you probably need this thing anyway with your five kids". Jane looked pretty attractive to Bill as he helped her into his passenger seat and drove her south on the River Road to a favorite restaurant. He asked for a corner table overlooking the river, and with good food and conversation he and Jane recounted their meeting by chance and life as it had been for them, to that point. The night ended with a walk to the door and agreement to probably do this again sometime soon and a kiss good night.
Bill was attracted to this lady, good looking, no children to wonder about how the blending would go if blending ever needed done, and she was street smart it seemed. Her ideas and ideals seemed very compatible with his. Who knows but at least for now he was content to get to know her better. Saturday evening was approaching and Bill was thinking why didn't I ask, but then he knows it is not best to have two dates in a row, not sure why, but that is probably the law of the dating jungle, so he relaxes at home. The kids retire for the night and Bill gets an idea. He loads up his blender, 7-Up and some Kool-aid and heads the wagon to town. He knocks on Jane's door hoping she is home with blender in hand, the door opens. Bill say's, "Hi Jane, I was just in the area and thought I would stop by and see if you cared for a new treat I have learned of. It is orange Kool-aid, 7-Up and ice, if you have the ice and the time". Jane seemed a little cautious, but finally kind of laughed and said something like "what an approach", and let Bill in. Bill fired up his blender and they enjoyed the drink and another couple hours of conversation and another couple good night kisses and Bill was headed back to the farm. Bill felt good, he liked this lady even more than the night before. Time would tell, but he had a couple months here to "cultivate" this relationship before the spring farming begins.
Cultivate he did, and and after a few more dates, the words "Love" were used now and then. Time moved on, it was a good summer for Bill and Jane. An engagement took place after about 6 months of dating. When would they marry was a topic for a few days and then the two agreed that what would be better than getting married on January 12, 1980? And what would be a better time for this wedding but 3:45 in the afternoon exactly one year to the minute that they had met with Bill's winning retrieval of the knitting stopper at that local airport. Thank God he had moved fast. It had been quit a year.
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