Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the twentyfifteen domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /chroot/home/a6f7779a/9d7429a5d9.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6170 {"id":621,"date":"2016-06-13T19:13:47","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T00:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=621"},"modified":"2016-06-18T18:55:31","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T23:55:31","slug":"621","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frankdeleon.com\/?p=621","title":{"rendered":"Life in the Fast Lane – Conclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Life in the Fast Lane<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/u><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n

Frankie Lands A Gig<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSharon?\u201d\u00a0 I spoke her name hesitantly into the receiver, while behind me I could feel Michael\u2019s eyes boring into my back.\u00a0 \u201cWell, yeah, I can talk for just a bit.\u00a0 What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, nothing.\u00a0 I\u2019m just sitting at home and I started thinking about you\u2026about what you\u2019ve been doing, I mean.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t seen you at the dances for a while\u2026so, you know, just wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you get this number?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had my mom ask some people at her work how one gets in touch with somebody at the base, and some guy gave her the central number.\u00a0 So I called it then I just asked if I could talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mom works with somebody here at the base?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, she\u2019s a dealer at one of the casinos downtown, so she runs into a lot of people.\u00a0 Anyway, I haven\u2019t seen you at the dances lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dances.\u00a0 Ah yeah, well my schedule has changed and now I\u2019m working swings on Saturday night,\u201d I lied, \u201cand also, I\u2019ve been doing a little bit of baby-sitting\u2026if you can believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBabysitting?\u00a0 What?\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK, that much was true.\u00a0 A few days after Judy had left town I was on the radar working a midnight shift when Sergeant Nietzsche pulled up a chair next to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, DeLe\u00f3n, anything happening?\u201d\u00a0 He asked, just before taking a big sip from his gigantic coffee cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s pretty quiet.\u00a0 I\u2019ve only had a couple of altitude requests in the last two hours, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you can cut the \u2018sir\u2019 shit.\u00a0 I\u2019m just an enlisted guy like you who happens to have a couple of extra stripes on my sleeves.\u00a0 Save that shit for the useless fucking officers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, okay\u2026sir\u2014I mean\u2026okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what does a good-looking single kid like you do on your days off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026not much.\u201d\u00a0 I answered hesitantly, and concentrated on keeping my eyes on the radar display, just in case this was some kind of attention test.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, seriously,\u201d He insisted. \u201cDo you go out to the casinos?\u00a0 Get hammered?\u00a0 Stay in the barracks and read philosophy books like that crazy fuck, Cooley?\u00a0 Chase the locals? What?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot much, really.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a lot of money so I kinda hang around the Rec Room and shoot pool, go to the pool, and stuff.\u00a0 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you don\u2019t have a girlfriend here or at home?\u00a0 And where is that anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no girlfriend anywhere,\u201d I lied (again), \u201cand I\u2019m from Houston.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHouston, huh?\u00a0 Nice town.\u00a0 Well anyway, how would you like to earn some extra money?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBabysitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

OK, now that one threw me for a loop\u2014and I turned completely away from my radar console and stared him in the face.\u00a0 \u201cBabysitting?\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 You\u2019re kidding, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nietzsche broke into a big smile.\u00a0 \u201cNo, really.\u00a0 Look, I\u2019ve been watching you since you got here and I think you\u2019re a good worker.\u00a0 But you don\u2019t seem to hang around a lot of the other guys and do the stuff that they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d\u00a0 I asked, puzzled.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike go out on your three-day break and get shit-faced every night then come back to work half hung-over.\u00a0 That\u2019s what!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, so then you know I don\u2019t go out and get hammered on a regular basis?\u00a0 Well, you\u2019re right; I don\u2019t do that for sure.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have that kind of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I mean!\u00a0 He said, slapping his hand on his knee.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re different!\u201d<\/p>\n

On this count he was only partially right.\u00a0 Even though I wasn\u2019t making very much money from my paycheck, and I was still having to make monthly payments on the rings that I\u2019d bought for Amparo, I was augmenting my meager income somewhat by playing my guitar at the Officers\u2019 Club on my days off.\u00a0 But, more about that later.<\/p>\n

I turned back to my radar to process an altitude request from the SAGE center in Reno.\u00a0 Having measured the target\u2019s altitude and assessed the target\u2019s flight direction, I pressed the red \u201cSEND\u201d button and turned back to Sergeant Nietzsche,<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d I started hesitantly, \u201cI don\u2019t know about different.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t make a lot of money\u2014and, you know, I\u2019m trying to save some of it to get back home on leave maybe next year.\u201d\u00a0 (Another lie).<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, I can help you there!\u00a0 See, my wife and I have a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and because of her age we can\u2019t get out much.\u00a0 We\u2019ve tried some teen girls from town, but then I have to drive all the way down to Winnemucca to get\u2019m, then when we get home, drive\u2019m all the way back.\u00a0 By the time I finally get home my wife\u2019s totally out of the mood.\u00a0 Know what I mean, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, I really didn\u2019t.\u00a0 \u201cUh, sure.\u201d\u00a0 I said, anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere ya go!\u00a0 See, you\u2019re on my crew so we have the same days off, so when me and the wife want to go out and have a little dinner and maybe do a little gambling you can come over and watch our little girl.\u00a0 By the time we get home you\u2019ve already put her to bed and she\u2019s sleeping nice and tight.\u00a0 Then after you leave my wife\u2019s still warmed up and I can probably get me a little nooky.\u00a0 See what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d never seen Sergeant Nietzsche get so worked up, or so personal, before.\u00a0 And although I\u2019d never heard the word \u2018nooky\u2019, I had a pretty good idea what it meant.<\/p>\n

I thought quickly, and for the first time ever in my life, I put on my negotiating hat.\u00a0 \u201cSo\u2026\u201d I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs. \u201cIf I agree to babysit, just exactly what\u2019re you thinking about paying me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo!\u00a0 You\u2019ll do it?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say I would\u2026yet.\u00a0 How much you gonna pay me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK!\u00a0 Let\u2019s see.\u201d He kicked back in his squeaky gray rolling desk chair and looked up to the ceiling.\u00a0 \u201cI usually pay the local girls a buck fifty an hour.\u00a0 What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought about it for a couple of seconds, and on a whim decided to barter a bit.\u00a0 \u201cThree bucks an hour and you\u2019re on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Three bucks!!\u201d\u00a0 The rolling chair let out a torturous squeal as Nietzsche straightened up\u2014his coffee making a sloshing sound in the plastic cup.\u00a0 \u201cNo way, man!\u00a0 That\u2019s a fortune!\u201d<\/p>\n

I could see that even though at my counteroffer caused him some agitation, his eyes were saying that he was more afraid of me completely refusing and him totally losing the deal.\u00a0 I looked him square in the face.\u00a0 \u201cOK, OK.\u00a0 So what\u2019s your offer then, sarge?\u00a0 A buck fifty isn\u2019t going to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit!\u201d\u00a0 He dropped his head, looking at the floor and for the first time I noticed the little round bald spot on the top of his head.\u00a0 He looked up at me, a deep furrow now between his eyes. \u201cOK, look.\u00a0 How do I know you\u2019ll even know what you\u2019re doing?\u00a0 What kind of experience do you have?<\/p>\n

\u201cExperience?\u00a0 Oh, really a lot.\u00a0 See, I\u2019ve got this little brother, Ricky\u2019s his name.\u00a0 And because my mom was always sick, I had to take care of him all the time.\u00a0 So I know what\u2019s what in that department.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA brother?\u00a0 Shit, DeLeon!\u00a0 You were taking care of a boy!\u00a0 And your brother, at that!\u00a0 My kid\u2019s a little girl!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA baby is a baby.\u00a0 Same, same!\u00a0 Only the plumbing is different.\u201d\u00a0 I was really feeling confident now.\u00a0 \u201cSo?\u00a0 What\u2019s your offer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit, OK!\u00a0 Two and a half bucks an hour!\u00a0 I can\u2019t go higher than that!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, you asked me if I would do this\u2014not the other way around.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll cut you some slack and agree to your offer of two-fifty an hour.\u201d\u00a0 And at that moment I became the first official male babysitter at the Winnemucca Air Force Station, and probably in the whole state of Nevada.<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re babysitting now? Really?\u201d\u00a0 Sharon said, dubiously.\u00a0 \u201cFor who?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sergeant.\u00a0 He lives in base housing here on the compound and he says it\u2019s too much trouble for him to hire local girls as he has to go back and forth into town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you babysit?\u00a0 When do you find time for that?\u00a0 Don\u2019t you have to work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u00a0 But he\u2019s my crew chief, so we\u2019re on the same days off.\u00a0 That makes it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChrist!\u00a0 That\u2019s crazy.\u201d\u00a0 She said curiously.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure you know what you\u2019re doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll learn.\u00a0 How hard could it be?\u00a0 Besides, the money\u2019s good: Two-fifty an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, I\u2019m impressed.\u00a0 Well, anyway I haven\u2019t seen you at the dances on Saturday for a while.\u00a0 What\u2019cha been doing\u2026I mean, besides babysitting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, not much.\u00a0 Just working, you know.\u00a0 And\u2026yeah, babysitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u00a0 Well, I heard you\u2019ve been dating some girl named Judy.\u00a0 That\u2019s not who you\u2019re babysitting, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJudy?\u201d\u00a0 I said, surprised that she knew about her.\u00a0 \u201cJudy, no she\u2019s just a friend.\u00a0 And, she happens to be just a few years older than three.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I heard you were kinda at her house all the time.\u00a0 All<\/strong> the time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot all the time!\u201d\u00a0 I suddenly felt defensive and a bit annoyed.\u00a0 \u201cAnyway, who\u2019s telling you these things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a small town, Frank, and word gets around.\u00a0 Anyhow, I hear she\u2019s stuck-up.\u00a0 And a rich bitch, at that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that comment really annoyed me.\u00a0 \u201cWell, for your information she\u2019s a really nice girl and her parents are really great.\u00a0 Besides, they left Winnemucca not too long ago and moved to California.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you\u2019re just a fountain of information on her, huh?\u201d\u00a0 Sharon said, just a little too catty.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, look.\u00a0 I gotta get back to work.\u201d\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to talk to her anymore so I signaled Michael to cut the connection.\u00a0 He shot me the bird and smiled\u2014large.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d she said softly after a couple of seconds, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 What you do is your own business.\u00a0 Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was still a little angry but was able to manage a, \u201cOh, that\u2019s OK, but I do have to get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, before you go,\u201d she said hurriedly, \u201care you planning to come to the dance this Saturday?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not this Saturday, I\u2019m working.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cBut, we\u2019re rotating our shifts next week, and then Saturdays will be my first day off for the next cycle.\u00a0 I\u2019ll probably be able to catch a few dances then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, OK.\u201d\u00a0 She sounded a bit dejected, and there was a long pause before either of us spoke.<\/p>\n

Not wanting to end our conversation on a negative note, I quickly asked, \u201cHey, you wanna go get a Coke sometime with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you get a car?\u201d\u00a0 She quickly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but I have a good friend who\u2019ll lend me his wheels just about anytime I ask!\u201d\u00a0 This I said while staring directly at Michael with my eyes wide, nodding my head.\u00a0 He made a couple of obscene gestures; one that included grabbing his crotch while making swirling tongue movements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould that be the same car you drove down and parked at Judy\u2019s all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n

The question caught me off guard and I didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d Sharon said quietly, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0 And, after another short pause, \u201cOK sure, we can go for a Coke or something\u2014whenever you want\u2026if I\u2019m not busy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright great, let me have your number and I\u2019ll call you in the next couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the call was disconnected I asked Michael what he was doing working the switchboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I trade off with the communications guys and work some mid shifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you work at the motor pool fixing cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well I happen to have me one of those secondary job descriptions where most everyone has just one.\u00a0 So if I ever get assigned at a large airbase, I\u2019ll be assigned to do either one or the other, depending on their need.\u00a0 But here, anything goes.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned back and gave me his trademark Cheshire cat grin.<\/p>\n

I walked out and back to my work section wondering if Michael was putting me on.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

My babysitting gig started with a lot of apprehension from all parties concerned.\u00a0 Sergeant Nietzsche confided in me that when he told his wife about me babysitting she had expressed some pretty serious but not unexpected doubts.<\/p>\n

To satisfy her reservations she insisted that I submit to an \u201cinterview\u201d conducted by her alone, after which she would make the final decision as to whether or not I was experienced and trustworthy enough to be left alone with her very young daughter.<\/p>\n

On my part, although I was anxious to make a little extra income to help finance my extracurricular activities when not working on the hill, I was also very apprehensive about taking on the responsibility of caring for an infant; particularly after I\u2019d lied about having cared for my brother when he was an infant.<\/p>\n

Lastly, and after due consideration (and probably a few objections from his wife), Sergeant Nietzsche requested a \u00a0renegotiation of my previously agreed to hourly pay\u2014particularly after he told her how much he\u2019d agreed to pay to a virtual stranger to take care of their only child.\u00a0 On that issue I remained firm, knowing that I held the upper hand.\u00a0 He would have to pay me what I demanded or do without a babysitter.<\/p>\n

So a couple of days later Sergeant Nietzsche told me that he needed to have me start babysitting the following weekend, but that his wife, Cassandra, wanted to talk to me beforehand.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, she wants to make sure you\u2019re not some kind of axe murderer, or something.\u201d\u00a0 He flashed a little grin and winked.<\/p>\n

The Nietzsches lived in one of the smaller homes on base housing, but it was still the nicest house I\u2019d ever been in–not counting Judy’s. \u00a0Two bedrooms, a nice den, and a tidy kitchen right off a small dining room, the house was cozy and very nicely decorated.\u00a0 And although the housing units were located on the south side of the base, it was still a little bit of a walk from my barracks room.<\/p>\n

I was met at the door by both Cassandra and Sergeant Nietzsche, (\u201cCall me \u201cDon\u201d.\u00a0 We\u2019re not on duty now\u2026\u201d), and invited to sit down in a chenille-covered Danish modern arm chair.\u00a0 After bringing me a glass of iced tea, we all settled in for the interrogation.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly Cassandra was mostly interested in hearing about my being raised in Texas.\u00a0 They\u2019d never been down south but she had always wanted to visit Texas.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s so big!\u201d She exclaimed breathlessly, \u201cAnd there has to be so much to do there!\u201d<\/p>\n

I told her that I had no idea on that count because, besides a trip to Mexico that my mom had taken me on when I was less than five years old, I had pretty much just stayed in Houston and done nothing.<\/p>\n

She told me she and Don were both from Ohio and had been high school sweethearts before marrying five years ago.\u00a0 The baby, Candace\u2014Candy for short\u2014was a little over three years old, and this was the first time that she and the baby had been able to accompany Don on one of his assignments.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the worst one, at that!\u201d\u00a0 Don added thoughtfully.\u00a0 \u201cBut at least we got base housing and don\u2019t have to live in \u2018beautiful downtown Winnemucca\u2019 among the \u2018effing\u2019 weirdoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassandra (\u201cplease call me Cassie\u2026\u201d) gave Don a quick \u201cshush\u201d look, and politely asked me if I wanted another glass of tea.\u00a0 I declined, worried that if I had another I might have to excuse myself to empty my quickly bloating bladder.<\/p>\n

After about an hour of idle chit-chat Cassie placed her hands on her daintily crossed legs and pursing her lips, turned to her husband: \u201cWell then Don,\u201d she cooed, \u201cI think Frank (call me \u2018Frank\u2019) will do just fine.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHell yes!\u00a0 I told you he\u2019s a good kid!\u00a0 He works for me and he ain\u2019t like the rest of the clowns on my crew!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassie frowned at Don\u2019s exuberance and turned back to me, one eyebrow arched.\u00a0 \u201cWell, now the only thing we need is to get Candy\u2019s approval.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go get her!\u201d\u00a0 Don said, probably happier than me that the interview was finally over.\u00a0 He all but jumped off the couch and blew by me heading toward a small hallway just off the living room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put Candy down for her nap just before you got here,\u201d Cassie said, \u201choping we wouldn\u2019t be interrupted.\u00a0 And we weren\u2019t, were we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Candy turned out to be a most delightful child.\u00a0 Petite and perky, she had inherited her mother\u2019s beautiful blue eyes and button nose, and her father\u2019s widely expressive smile.\u00a0 Incredibly intelligent even at her tender age, she seemed to have already mastered the art of politeness and graciousness, ending each request with \u201cplease\u201d (pronounced \u2018peese\u2019), and acknowledging every granted wish with a smile-wrapped \u201ctank you\u201d.<\/p>\n

Don came out carrying Candy from her pinkly feminine little bedroom.\u00a0 Her blond hair was pulled back into little twin pony-tails and she was dressed in a little light blue tank-top, white shorts and little brown leather sandals.\u00a0 Don put her down and she walked right up to me, extended her little hand and greeted me in a halting doll-like voice:\u00a0 \u201cHi\u2026mister Fank.\u00a0 My name is (big breath) Candy.\u00a0 How do you do!\u201d\u00a0 Her face took on a mock serious look, accentuated with a pair of pooched lips.<\/p>\n

Our little baby handshake ended abruptly as her little hands shot down between her legs and she said hurriedly, \u201cDaddy, oh!\u00a0 I have to go potty!\u00a0 You know I have to go every time after I get up from my nap!\u201d<\/p>\n

Don looked a little lost for a second but Cassie had already gotten up from the couch and was quickly ushering Candy back down the hallway.\u00a0 Just before disappearing through the bathroom door, Candy looked over her shoulder and said breathlessly, \u201cI\u2019ll be back Mister Fank, don\u2019t go!\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled, genuinely impressed and told Don that I thought she was really cute.\u00a0 \u201cShe kinda reminds me a little of Shirley Temple.\u201d\u00a0 I added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, takes after me, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, not really.\u201d I said, shaking my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, when we told her about you\u2026that you were going to be her babysitter, the first thing she wanted to know was your name and why a man would want to babysit her.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know what to say to her, so you may want to think of something to tell her if she asks you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, that\u2019s easy: money!\u201d\u00a0 I laughed and Don smiled painfully.<\/p>\n

After completing her trip to the bathroom, Candy came running and skipping back into the living room and took a position between the arm of my chair and my right leg\u2014her little left arm resting on my thigh.\u00a0 While her parents and I talked she would occasionally look up at me, smile, and nod her head as if in agreement to whatever it was that we were saying.<\/p>\n

Up to that point in my life I had never been around children, and really had no idea how to deal with them on a personal level.\u00a0 But just after a few minutes of having met her, Candy had already begun to steal my heart.<\/p>\n

Dances, And Other Things<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

I began my babysitting for the Nietzsches the following weekend and the experience proved to be extremely beneficial for all concerned.\u00a0 Caring for little Candy was pleasant beyond belief\u2014easier and more satisfying than I\u2019d ever dreamed it would be.\u00a0 She was a little bundle of joy who acted more adult than most of the adults that I knew at that point.<\/p>\n

On the evenings that I was asked to babysit, Cassie insisted that I skip eating at the chow hall before coming over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how you can stand to eat there!\u201d\u00a0 She told me.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s small, and looks dirty\u2014and God only knows what those horrid- looking cooks are up to before they start cooking.”<\/p>\n

As far as I was concerned, the food there was fine; much better than anything I\u2019d ever had at home, and, although certainly not up to par with the fine restaurants at the downtown casinos, it was, after all, free.\u00a0 Regardless, Cassie always made sure that there was a complete home-cooked meal in the refrigerator, or one just out of the oven waiting for me.<\/p>\n

A couple of times Don complained to anyone who would listen, that even though they were going out to have dinner at some restaurant or casino, Cassie would always insist on preparing a full meal for me, in addition to Candy\u2019s meal, to eat after they\u2019d left.\u00a0 Then, to boot, he would have to spend money on their own dinner and entertainment, and finally he still had to pony up for my babysitting wages.\u00a0 Although all that seemed to aggravate him to no end, I had to admit it was a bit of a racket.<\/p>\n

When it was time for dinner Candy would insist on my eating at the same time she ate hers\u2014along with her dolls.\u00a0 While I was warming up our food Candy would busy herself seating four of her dolls on the table\u2019s side chairs then setting out her little tea set as a place setting for each one of them.\u00a0 Satisfied that everything was set out correctly, she would then direct that I sit at the head of the table and her at the foot.<\/p>\n

Before we were allowed to start eating she would insist that we say grace, and when doing so I was required to hold onto the plastic hands of the dolls on either side of me.\u00a0 After grace she would instruct each doll how to eat their food and drink their tea \u201cwith manners\u201d\u2014like her and Fank.\u00a0 She would also\u00a0remind them that if they wanted to talk to me they had to address me as, \u201cMr. Fank the sir\u201d.\u00a0 With her little index finger wagging in their direction, she told them that she was the only one allowed to call me just plain Fank.\u00a0 Thankfully the dolls never had much to say.<\/p>\n

Her bedtime was somewhere between seven-thirty and eight o\u2019clock, and once I\u2019d gotten her ready for bed and changed her into her night gown it was story time.\u00a0 I usually read her a selection from one of her many storybooks stashed under her little night table, and when she decided that she\u2019d heard enough she\u2019d make a little fake yawn and stretch her little arms over her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m tired now, Fank.\u201d\u00a0 She\u2019d say, feigning extreme fatigue and blinking her eyes rapidly.\u00a0 \u201cTime for me to sleep, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

After tucking her in tightly she\u2019d never let me leave her room without giving my head a big hug and planting a wet sloppy kiss on my cheek.\u00a0 As I looked back at her before partially closing her door she\u2019d always say, \u201cFank, tank you for taking care of me when mommy\u2019s away at night.\u00a0 I love you.\u201d\u00a0 I always told her that I loved her too.<\/p>\n

Over the months I found that I\u2019d grown extremely attached to Candy, so when Don told me that he\u2019d received orders and was being transferred in a few weeks to Stead Air Force Base in Reno, I was more heartbroken than sad.\u00a0 The days seemed to fly by, and on the last day that I babysat Candy, Cassie and Don asked me not to mention that I wouldn\u2019t be babysitting her ever again.\u00a0 When I asked them what they were going to say to her, they said they planned to tell Candy that I would also be transferred to Reno, but would arrive at a much later date.<\/p>\n

The last time I saw Candy I was careful not to say goodbye.\u00a0 When she asked when I was coming to see her in her new house, I just said that it would be very soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d she said, in her breathless little way, \u201cbut hurry, because me and my babies (her dolls) are going to miss you verrry much until we can see you again.\u201d\u00a0 Then she planted a wet sloppy kiss on my cheek and said, \u201cI love you\u201d.<\/p>\n

It was hard for me not to tear up just a bit.<\/p>\n

When I saw them the day before they left we all promised to stay in touch, and they promised to send me pictures of Candy as she grew up.<\/p>\n

Sadly, I never heard from them ever again\u2014but I\u2019ve never forgotten Candy.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The extra money I made babysitting Candy came in very handy.\u00a0 For one thing I was able to send my mother a money order to cover the cost of sending me my Gibson guitar via Greyhound shipping.\u00a0 The day it arrived brought me much happiness and I spent one whole evening getting reacquainted with my old friend.<\/p>\n

One evening, as I was in my room teaching myself a couple of Peter, Paul and Mary folk songs. I heard a knock on my door.\u00a0 It turned out that a couple of guys from my work crew were on their way to the Officers\u2019 Club when they overheard me playing as they passed my room.\u00a0 After a few minutes they asked me if I wanted to come with them to the club and maybe play a few songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know a lot of songs, really.\u201d\u00a0 I said, truthfully.\u00a0 But they didn\u2019t seem to care and insisted that I join them.<\/p>\n

After a couple of minutes of urging, and the promise of a few free drinks, I agreed to join them.<\/p>\n

When we arrived there were just a few guys hanging around the bar listening to the juke box.\u00a0 One of the guys I was with said to no one in particular, \u201cHey, unplug that thing and let\u2019s get us a little hootenanny going here.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure what he\u2019d just said, but after spotting a covered-up piano sitting against the wall, I told them I needed to tune up my guitar.\u00a0 Finally, all tuned up I pulled up a chair and started strumming through a few chords.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Someone behind me said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know how to play \u201cIf I Had a Hammer\u201d?\u00a0 As luck would have it I liked that particular song so much I\u2019d been learning the chords for a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well I know the chord structure, but I\u2019m not too sure of all the lyrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo sweat!\u201d One of the guys from my barracks chimed in.\u00a0 \u201cStart it up and we\u2019ll all join in.\u00a0 Among all of us we\u2019ll figure out the words.\u00a0 And if we don\u2019t, who gives a shit!\u201d\u00a0 Everyone whooped and cheered on that so I looked down and formed a C chord.<\/p>\n

And so with a little flourish I proceeded to strum through the first two intro bars of C, Em, F, & G, and launched into the first verse.\u00a0 Before I knew it the whole group was singing and clapping, and we had us a grand old hootenanny going!<\/p>\n

A couple of songs later I was handed a beer, then another; pretty soon I realized that the more beer I consumed, the better I played and the better we all sounded.<\/p>\n

That evening was the start of a lot of good times and did a lot to boost my self-confidence and break up my loneliness.\u00a0 We\u2019d gather a few nights a week at the club and play and sing a lot of the folk songs that were beginning to take hold in the music world.\u00a0 Since I\u2019d heard, or knew of, very few non-religious songs while in Houston, just about every song that was popular and well-known to most of my colleagues was completely new to me.\u00a0 I found that folk and country music, for the most part, was fairly simple, chord-wise.\u00a0 Many popular songs consisted of a plain three- or four-chord progression and were done in three-four or four-four time.\u00a0 In no time at all my repertoire had grown and I found myself doing more and more solos, with the group just listening and swaying to the beat.\u00a0 The music probably just transported them back home to their pre-Air Force days.<\/p>\n

One evening, while tuning my guitar to the club\u2019s piano, I started sounding out chords to a couple of songs I sang and played on the guitar.\u00a0 I remembered those evenings back in Houston at church when I would pound out a few \u201ccoritos\u201d for the congregation on the piano.\u00a0 So I just began to transpose some of the songs\u2019 chord structure to the keys on the piano\u2014sounding bass with my left hand and full chords with my right\u2014and before I knew it I was banging out stuff like Jerry Lee Lewis\u2019s, \u201cWhole Lotta Shaking Goin\u2019 On\u201d, Fats Domino\u2019s, \u201cBlueberry Hill\u201d, and The Kingsmen\u2019s, \u201cLouie Louie\u201d.<\/p>\n

The extra income also made it a little easier for me to spend more time with Sharon, which later ended up causing us both a boatload of problems.\u00a0 I had resumed going to the Town Hall dances, and with my newly-acquired dancing skills was able to pretty much dance with Sharon the whole night.\u00a0 But after some time we found that although the dances were fun, we both wanted to spend more time alone with each other.<\/p>\n

When I couldn\u2019t borrow Michael\u2019s car to go into town, I found I could now afford to use a taxi for transportation.\u00a0 A pickup and return at the base, using the same car and driver, cost two dollars round trip, or three dollars if I used one taxi to drive me into town and another to bring me back to the base.\u00a0 With this newfound mode of transportation, I began to spend more time at Sharon\u2019s house\u2014usually in the evenings when her mom was at work.<\/p>\n

One evening, while I was at Sharon\u2019s house, I heard a loud knock at the door.\u00a0 Sharon answered, then quickly turned to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Michael, and he\u2019s here in an Air Force jeep!\u201d<\/p>\n

What?!<\/em><\/p>\n

I got up quickly from the couch and sprinted to the door.\u00a0 There was Michael, in uniform.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Frank!\u00a0 Come on man, you\u2019re needed back at the base!\u00a0 Come on!!\u00a0 We gotta go!!\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to think or what else to say, so I followed Michael, who by now was back at the jeep.\u00a0 On the way back to the base I kept asking him if we\u2019d been put on alert, because we\u2019d been briefed earlier in the week that relations between Russia and the U.S. had been deteriorating.\u00a0 Michael would only tell me that the lieutenant on duty had asked that I be returned to the base as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

We flew through the front gate and pulled up in front of the Officers\u2019 Club.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we doing here?\u201d I asked, slightly confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where the lieutenant said to bring you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He jumped out of the jeep and waited for me to come around the front of the vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on man!\u00a0 Hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n

We jogged to the front door and entered the darkened club.\u00a0 I spotted the duty lieutenant standing by the bar with the base commander next to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d the lieutenant said to Michael. \u201cI see you found him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir, I did.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t too hard to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stood there, not knowing what to do when the commander walked around and approached me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, airman DeLe\u00f3n, I\u2019m told you play a pretty mean piano.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWha\u2026What?\u201d I stuttered.<\/p>\n

He pointed to the area where the piano was normally stowed.\u00a0 It was now uncovered and pulled away from the wall.\u00a0 There was a set of drums set up and a couple of guitars on their stands behind two large amplifiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee,\u201d the commander continued, \u201cwe commissioned this band to play for us this weekend and it seems their piano player took ill and didn\u2019t show up.\u00a0 I asked around and a couple of the guys, particularly your pal Michael here, told me that you would be happy to volunteer your services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI, uh, so that\u2019s why I was brought back here\u2026sir?\u00a0 To play the piano?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u00a0 Now get your ass behind that thing and let\u2019s get some music going.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was shocked, confused and angry.\u00a0 Some guy in a gold sequined jacket walked up to me.\u00a0 \u201cSo, you need our set list?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 What\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur set list!\u00a0 The songs we\u2019re going to play.\u00a0 You know!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 And, I\u2019m not a professional musician.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, neither are we.\u00a0 I\u2019m a trucker when I\u2019m not playing gigs and the rest of my guys are carpenters and mechanics.\u00a0 Anyway, just follow along\u2014you\u2019ll do fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I pulled the bench out from the piano everyone in the club, which was unusually packed, applauded.\u00a0 I broke out in a little sweat.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, since I can\u2019t pay you\u2014that would be illegal\u2014I\u2019ll keep your glass filled with whatever you\u2019re drinking.\u201d\u00a0 The lieutenant said, startling me a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, I don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0 I saw he had a glass in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScotch and water.\u00a0 Cutty Sark scotch.\u00a0 A real man\u2019s drink.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, that\u2019ll be fine.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019d never tasted scotch in my life and my first mouthful almost made me gag.\u00a0 But as with most liquor, after the third one, the Curry Sark was sliding down my throat effortlessly.\u00a0 From that night on, Cutty Sark scotch would be my drink of choice for many years.<\/p>\n

Sometime later the base commander relented and instructed the bartenders that anytime I played the guitar or the piano at the club, in addition to free drinks, they should also give me a fiver.\u00a0 Many mornings I woke up to a raging hangover but that crumpled up five- dollar bill in my pocket always made me feel better.<\/p>\n

A few months later Sharon\u2019s mother met me at the door of her house as I arrived to visit Sharon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou kids really did it now, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0 She said, after having taken a large drag off her Kool menthol cigarette.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid what?\u201d\u00a0 I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou went and got Sharon pregnant, that\u2019s what!\u201d<\/p>\n

All feeling went out of my body and my mind stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, don\u2019t just stand there like a dope.\u00a0 Come on in and we\u2019ll see how we can rectify this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

She spun on her heel and went inside the house, leaving me on the porch to ponder my situation.<\/p>\n

September 29, 1962<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Three months had passed since Sharon and I were married and moved into the little home near downtown Winnemucca.\u00a0 And although I was still pulling those grueling nine days on and three days off shifts on top of the mountain, I was now also working almost full time at a Chevron station owned by one of the town\u2019s prominent Basques, Philip Egosque.<\/p>\n

Now heavily pregnant and a few days past her expected delivery date, Sharon had been ordered by her doctor to take daily walks to help position the baby correctly for its birth.\u00a0 It was during one of these walks about a mile from home, on a warm windless evening, that Sharon\u2019s water suddenly and unexpectedly broke.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re Having a Baby!<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to go home now!\u201d\u00a0 I said to Sharon, a bit frantic.\u00a0 \u201cCan you still walk OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she answered, looking down between her legs at the growing puddle of liquid on the sidewalk, \u201cbut I don\u2019t think I want to walk all the way home with this stuff running down my legs.\u00a0 Besides, a lot of it is getting into my shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you in pain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really, but the baby does seem a bit restless in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I should flag down a cab.\u00a0 Can you wait here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, if I can lean against this wall I should be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wall was the eastside wall of The Star casino, and there was usually a cab or two parked in the front ready to chauffeur a winning gambler to the next casino, or a losing one home.<\/p>\n

I trotted around to the front of the building, and as luck would have it there were no cabs parked at the cab stand.\u00a0 Now what?<\/p>\n

Hurrying back to where she was still standing uncomfortably, Sharon was holding her shoes in her hands\u2014flimsy little slip-ons that afforded her swollen feet the freedom they needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, there\u2019s no cabs at the taxi stand.\u201d\u00a0 I said, breathlessly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat!\u00a0 Now what do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll just have to walk back home, I guess.\u00a0 Just leave your shoes off and lean on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She pushed herself off the wall and put her arm around my shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cEasy does it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Normally a very petite and small-boned girl, she was now almost obscenely bloated, and even walking slowly caused her great discomfort.\u00a0 We\u2019d walked (more like hobbled) about a block when a car, approaching us from behind, slowed down and stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she OK?\u201d\u00a0 The woman driving yelled out the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d I responded, a little out of breath, \u201cwe\u2019re about to have a baby!\u00a0 Her water broke back there and we\u2019re trying to get home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t she be going to the hospital?\u201d\u00a0 The woman asked, now showing a bit more concern as she kept pace with her car.<\/p>\n

Sharon spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I need to get home first to get my suitcase so I\u2019ll have what I need after the baby comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman slammed on the brakes, threw the car into Park, and came rushing out.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, girl!\u201d she said, grabbing Sharon\u2019s other shoulder to help support her.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get you to my car and I\u2019ll give you a ride back to your house.\u00a0 But then you really need to get to an emergency room\u2014soon!\u201d<\/p>\n

Between the two of us we trundled her into the back seat, and I, with Sharon\u2019s slightly soggy shoes still in hand, jumped into the right front seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, now where to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStraight until the end of the block, then left.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a few minutes we were back at our little house and I was pulling Sharon\u2019s pre-packed suitcase out from under the bed.<\/p>\n

She pulled something out from the dresser and barricaded herself in our small bathroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey! Are you OK?\u00a0 We have to leave right away!\u201d\u00a0 I yelled through the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust take the suitcase out to the car and put it in the trunk!\u201d She yelled back.\u00a0 \u201cI have to change first\u2014and besides there\u2019s still some stuff running out.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t want to ask what that meant, so I hurried out to the old Chevy and threw the suitcase in the trunk.<\/p>\n

As I hurried back into the house Sharon came waddling out of the bathroom, holding herself upright by sliding along the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus, Sharon!\u201d I said, now truly concerned. \u201cYou can hardly stand!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I just got a real sharp cramp and I feel like I have to poop!\u201d She said, pausing slightly and looking a little bit embarrassed.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure pooping was on the agenda when giving birth so I hurried to grab her arm and guide her out the front door and to the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw, ow, ow!\u201d she exclaimed as I positioned her onto the raggedy bench seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my God!\u00a0 Is it coming out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo dammit, you\u2019re squeezing my arm too tightly!\u201d She groaned as she tried in vain to swing her swollen legs into the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sorry.\u00a0 Here let me get your legs in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, Frank!\u00a0 I feel like some kind of invalid!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no!\u00a0 You\u2019re just having a baby, that\u2019s all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no shit!\u00a0 That\u2019s all?\u201d She spewed that out sarcastically.<\/p>\n

Finally getting all of her onto the seat, I slammed the creaky door and hurried around to the driver\u2019s side.\u00a0 I prayed that the car would start, and wondered if maybe I should call on Jesus\u2019s holy blood for help, just to be safe\u2014like my mother used to do every time she got into dad\u2019s car.\u00a0 As I turned the key I decided that I would do just that\u2014but silently.<\/p>\n

The winded little six-cylinder engine turned over painfully a couple of times then caught, sending a shudder through the whole body of the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Sharon asked, as I put the car into reverse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, what?\u201d I asked, looking back over my shoulder guiding the car out of the driveway.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you say about blood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you said \u2018blood\u2019 something just now.\u201d<\/p>\n

I did?\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cOh, no! Not \u2018blood\u2019!\u201d\u00a0 I thought quickly, then said, \u201cI said \u2018flood\u2019<\/strong>!\u00a0 I said I hope the engine doesn\u2019t flood!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u00a0 It sure sounded like you said something about \u2018blood\u2019 and \u2018Jesus\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s silly!\u00a0 Why would I say \u2018blood\u2019 or \u2018Jesus\u2019?\u00a0 I said, pulling out into the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s what I was wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concentrating on the road I said, \u201cThat\u2019s crazy.\u201d\u00a0 But, <\/em>I thought, it did work!<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Guiding the car out onto the main road I tried to gather my thoughts and remember just exactly where the hospital was.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, we\u2019ll be there in just a couple of minutes.\u201d I said to Sharon in my most calming tone of voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s stop at Alberta\u2019s first so I can tell her the good news!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alberta was Sharon\u2019s elder sister and had recently married Bernie, her long-time boyfriend.\u00a0 They lived in a second floor apartment on the other side of town and in a completely opposite direction from where the hospital was located.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlberta?\u00a0 Really? Alberta?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you know.\u00a0 My sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know who Alberta is, Sharon!!\u00a0 We can\u2019t go see her now.\u00a0 You\u2019re, you\u2019re\u2026about to burst!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I am not!\u00a0 Stop exaggerating!\u00a0 Now that I\u2019m in the car and not leaking anymore, I\u2019m feeling pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to say to that, so I just closed my mouth and shook my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell me you forgot where she lives?\u201d Sharon calmly said, as she pointed out the window with her right hand as she held her humongous belly steady with her left.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u00a0 For God\u2019s sake, Sharon!\u00a0 I know where she lives!\u00a0 I just can\u2019t believe you really want me to take you there before we go to the hospital!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, why not.\u00a0 It\u2019ll just take a couple of minutes anyway. Then we can go to the hospital.\u00a0 Take the next right over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so we did go see Alberta\u2026and Bernie.\u00a0 I parked the car in the apartment\u2019s parking lot, being careful to leave it running, and went up the steps to the second floor.\u00a0 I knocked on the door, then heard a chain drop, and the door peeked open.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hi Frank!\u201d\u00a0 Alberta said cheerfully.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sorry for the bother.\u201d I started to say. \u201cBut, Sharon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Dinks!\u201d\u00a0 Sharon yelled over my left shoulder. \u201cGuess what?\u00a0 I\u2019m about to pop!\u201d\u00a0 (\u201cDinks\u201d was Alberta\u2019s family nickname).<\/p>\n

Startled, I looked to my left to see Sharon standing there, both hands holding up her belly, grinning crazily.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus girl!\u00a0 Come on in before you drop the kid on the floor!\u201d\u00a0 Alberta stepped to one side and gestured grandly for us to enter.<\/p>\n

Somewhat regaining my composure, I yelled, \u201cSharon!!\u00a0 What the hell are doing here?\u00a0 You\u2019re supposed to be in the car!\u00a0 And\u2026did you just climb all those steps!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, silly.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 Do you think I flew up here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey Bernie!\u201d Alberta yelled back into the apartment. \u201cCome here!\u00a0 Sharon\u2019s here and she\u2019s about to pop, but I think it\u2019s probably Frank who\u2019s gonna have a baby!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u201d I blurted out.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to go!\u00a0 Now!!\u201d\u00a0 And with that I grabbed Sharon\u2019s arm and turned her in the direction of the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOw,\u201d Sharon complained, \u201cOK, don\u2019t pull me so hard!\u201d<\/p>\n

As we gingerly navigated the stairs back down to the parking lot I heard Alberta yell, \u201cHey, ya\u2019ll come back when you can stay longer!\u201d\u00a0 Then she laughed loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrazy Dinks!\u201d Sharon said, as I pushed her legs back into the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, but I don\u2019t think Dinks is the crazy one here.\u201d\u00a0 Putting the car in gear, I tried to remember where the hospital was.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Thirty-five minutes after Sharon was wheeled out of the check-in area and taken in the direction of the delivery room, I heard a loud and elongated pain-filled cry.\u00a0 After a few seconds of curious quiet, I heard the distinct sound of a baby crying uncontrollably.<\/p>\n

At 9:37pm, on September 29, 1962, Ricky Mitchell DeLe\u00f3n, was born.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"