Travels of Jack Pynesapp
Book 2: Red and Jimmy
Chapter 4;
So what is grandpa doing in a book called "Red and Jimmy"? Apparently we can't get rid of the old coot. Maybe this is just a cameo.
But I needed something for Red and Jimmy to do in L.A. because they sure aren't there to play a gig. (Or are they? ) Frankly, I just panicked.
"Hello James," Grandpa beamed as he shook Jimmy's hand, "so how did you like the express trains?"
"Very impressive." Jimmy admitted. "They really fly." Jimmy smiled. "Literally. we're told."
"Oh, Grandpa," Red interrupted, "it's so good to see you finally. I didn't sleep at all last night waiting for this."
"Yes, I'm so glad you decided to come."
"Where's Grandma? Where are you staying? Why haven't you come back home? People are starting to wonder, you know. They're asking if you died or something."
"So many questions." Grandpa protested; "Well, Grandma had to run a little errand, she'll be here soon. She can't wait to see you, too." He continued; "So don't people know that we're in Florida?" Grandpa smiled slyly.
"Yeah, that's what we keep saying, but they're wondering about the house. And I guess a lot of them miss you guys and are genuinely worried, you know. You've been gone for three years. "
"Kinda mysterious Jack, you gotta admit." Jimmy added.
"But you guys are staying in the house, like we planned, right?"
"We stay there between semesters, you know, but we're both still in school and we're away most of the time."
"But JJ mows the grass and keeps an eye on the place while you're away. Right?"
"Yeah, Daddy does a great job. The place looks nice all the time."
"Well then?"
"We miss you and Grandma?" Red gives him another big hug and then says. "That's all, you know? When are you coming home?"
"Well that's why I wanted you to come out here. Sit down. We need to talk about things.
Red and Jimmy sat. Jimmy put the suitcase under the table and out of the way.
"Have you eaten? Are you hungry" Grandpa asked.
"Last night." Jimmy said.
"We ate in the dinning car. It was good and we met some interesting people."
Red briefly told Grandpa about their conversation with Alice and Bill.
"Yeah, they pretty much force you to meet people." Grandpa chuckled. "It's cool once you get used to it. So you wouldn't mind some breakfast then? "
Grandpa waved for a waiter and they placed their orders. "It's on me." Grandpa smiled.
"That's good," Jimmy said, "we're running short on credits. Since our money isn't any good here."
"I would imagine, if you're having fancy dinners on trains." Grandpa said sternly.
"We just thought it would be fun to try." Red protested.
"I'm kidding guys." Grandpa laughed, "It's just fine. We'll add some more to your account."
"Thanks Grandpa." Red smiled.
"It's worth it just to see you." Then Grandpa leaned close to Red and whispered; "You brought the box, didn't you?"
Red smiled and whispered back; "Yes, it's in the suitcase. I'll get it." She began reaching under the table for the suitcase and Grandpa gently grabbed her arm and said softly; "Not now, Red. Just leave it there for now." He gave a quick scan of the room with his eyes -- not moving his head. "We'll deal with that later."
"So Jimmy, " Grandpa continued, "why do you say literally flying? What have you figured out about that train? What did you mean when you said 'literally, we're told'?"
"Well Jack, we didn't have time to figure out too much, " Jimmy said, "before we met a guy who was happy to tell us all about it."
"But only up to a point." Red added.
"Yeah, he started to tell us but then he kind of clammed up." Jimmy continued.
"He was sitting next to us -- in the seat across the isle -- when he overheard us talking about it and he introduced himself and he said something about the train flying and said it was riding on a gravity wave." Red said.
"What was his name?" Grandpa asked.
"Arthur." Jimmy said.
"Just Arthur?" Grandpa asked. "No last name."
"He didn't say." Red said. "He seemed anxious to tell us all about it and he suggested we move to the observation car"
"So we wouldn't disturb people around us." Jimmy continued.
"But once we got to the observation car, all he seemed to want to do was ask us all about ourselves." Red said.
The waiter arrived with their food.
But I needed something for Red and Jimmy to do in L.A. because they sure aren't there to play a gig. (Or are they? ) Frankly, I just panicked.
"Hello James," Grandpa beamed as he shook Jimmy's hand, "so how did you like the express trains?"
"Very impressive." Jimmy admitted. "They really fly." Jimmy smiled. "Literally. we're told."
"Oh, Grandpa," Red interrupted, "it's so good to see you finally. I didn't sleep at all last night waiting for this."
"Yes, I'm so glad you decided to come."
"Where's Grandma? Where are you staying? Why haven't you come back home? People are starting to wonder, you know. They're asking if you died or something."
"So many questions." Grandpa protested; "Well, Grandma had to run a little errand, she'll be here soon. She can't wait to see you, too." He continued; "So don't people know that we're in Florida?" Grandpa smiled slyly.
"Yeah, that's what we keep saying, but they're wondering about the house. And I guess a lot of them miss you guys and are genuinely worried, you know. You've been gone for three years. "
"Kinda mysterious Jack, you gotta admit." Jimmy added.
"But you guys are staying in the house, like we planned, right?"
"We stay there between semesters, you know, but we're both still in school and we're away most of the time."
"But JJ mows the grass and keeps an eye on the place while you're away. Right?"
"Yeah, Daddy does a great job. The place looks nice all the time."
"Well then?"
"We miss you and Grandma?" Red gives him another big hug and then says. "That's all, you know? When are you coming home?"
"Well that's why I wanted you to come out here. Sit down. We need to talk about things.
Red and Jimmy sat. Jimmy put the suitcase under the table and out of the way.
"Have you eaten? Are you hungry" Grandpa asked.
"Last night." Jimmy said.
"We ate in the dinning car. It was good and we met some interesting people."
Red briefly told Grandpa about their conversation with Alice and Bill.
"Yeah, they pretty much force you to meet people." Grandpa chuckled. "It's cool once you get used to it. So you wouldn't mind some breakfast then? "
Grandpa waved for a waiter and they placed their orders. "It's on me." Grandpa smiled.
"That's good," Jimmy said, "we're running short on credits. Since our money isn't any good here."
"I would imagine, if you're having fancy dinners on trains." Grandpa said sternly.
"We just thought it would be fun to try." Red protested.
"I'm kidding guys." Grandpa laughed, "It's just fine. We'll add some more to your account."
"Thanks Grandpa." Red smiled.
"It's worth it just to see you." Then Grandpa leaned close to Red and whispered; "You brought the box, didn't you?"
Red smiled and whispered back; "Yes, it's in the suitcase. I'll get it." She began reaching under the table for the suitcase and Grandpa gently grabbed her arm and said softly; "Not now, Red. Just leave it there for now." He gave a quick scan of the room with his eyes -- not moving his head. "We'll deal with that later."
"So Jimmy, " Grandpa continued, "why do you say literally flying? What have you figured out about that train? What did you mean when you said 'literally, we're told'?"
"Well Jack, we didn't have time to figure out too much, " Jimmy said, "before we met a guy who was happy to tell us all about it."
"But only up to a point." Red added.
"Yeah, he started to tell us but then he kind of clammed up." Jimmy continued.
"He was sitting next to us -- in the seat across the isle -- when he overheard us talking about it and he introduced himself and he said something about the train flying and said it was riding on a gravity wave." Red said.
"What was his name?" Grandpa asked.
"Arthur." Jimmy said.
"Just Arthur?" Grandpa asked. "No last name."
"He didn't say." Red said. "He seemed anxious to tell us all about it and he suggested we move to the observation car"
"So we wouldn't disturb people around us." Jimmy continued.
"But once we got to the observation car, all he seemed to want to do was ask us all about ourselves." Red said.
The waiter arrived with their food.
When the waiter left, Grandpa leaned in closer and said quietly; "So he didn't explain any more about this drive system."
"No," Red said as she took her first bite.
"He just wanted to know about us and he was starting to creep us out." Jimmy continued while Red was chewing.
"How much did you tell him? " Grandpa asked; concerned.
"Not much, like Jimmy said. " Red swallowed and continued. "We made up some story about us being musicians and heading for a show in L.A."
"Yeah, Red started that one." Jimmy laughed. "I had all I could do to keep up my end."
"Did he buy it?"
"I don't think he was convinced, really." Red smiled.
"So we bailed on the whole thing and went back to our seats" Jimmy said.
"We just left him sitting there." Red added.
"Did he say anything when he came back to his seat?"
"He never came back." Red said.
"Never?"
"Red said she was awake all night and he never came back." Jimmy added.
"Where was he then, I wonder."
"It gets weirder. " Jimmy added.
Red took a sip of coffee and said; "When I was getting off the train this morning."
"I was digging for our luggage."
"A couple cars up I saw Arthur getting of the train. And he was with the two people we met in the dining car last night."
"Did they see you?"
"They all saw me. And they all waved and smiled. And then they turned and headed for the station."
"They looked like they were together. Like they knew each other." Jimmy added. "I was there by then and Red pointed them out to me."
"Interesting." Grandpa said thoughtfully.
Just then Grandma Pynesapp walked hurriedly up to the table.
"Grandma" Red cried as she jumped up and gave her a big hug.
Marge Pynesapp was trying to catch her breath as she hugged Red; "Oh Red I'm so glad to see you. You look great. We've missed you so much."
As Marge gave Jimmy a big hug, she looked over at Jack and to him she said softly; "You and I need to talk - alone."
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