The General’s Son
by: E Walk

(Copyright 2007 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

 

Chapter 6
 Culture Shock

Ian and I picked up Patty and Lauren; you would have thought we had been friends for a long time. When we arrived at the Allen’s quarters, we were greeted at the door by Alex. “Well it’s about time. You might know that the Lieutenants and their dates would be the last to arrive. Don’t you know that Lieutenants are supposed to arrive early to do the grunt work?”

Colonel Allen was standing there laughing. “Just ignore my son; he’s being his lazy self. Alex and Troy, why don’t you introduce these people to everyone?”

The evening was progressing and the young teenagers were paying special attention to the four of us.

As dinner was ending I asked, “Uncle Rick and Aunt B., my parents want to know when you are coming to the farm? They have been complaining because you all don’t get together very often. It’s difficult for them to get away because of the livestock.”

General Miller said, “Troy, tell your parents that we’ll try to get there as soon as possible. We really haven’t had much time to get away either.”

When dinner was over the young guys started dancing with the young ladies. Ian and I danced with most of the older ladies. I think the senior officers’ wives were all impressed at our manners and abilities.

I was dancing with Mrs. Miller and she said, “Troy that was a great smoke screen that you threw up to make it seem very feasible that you and twins would be spending a lot of time together. At first we didn’t realize what you were doing, but I am so glad that you were able to think of doing such a thing. I don’t know if you could see Chip’s face but he caught on immediately.”

I looked at Mrs. Miller and asked, “Would it be permissible for me to take the guys to my hillbilly farm tomorrow and we will return Sunday night so my parents could have a night off. The guys will probably never get over the cultural shock.”

“Troy, I grew up on a farm and I’m all for it but let me check with the guys and their parents. I’m sure that it would do all of the guys a lot of good but Tim is going to complain since he and Lindsey have a date for tomorrow night.”

“Ma’am, I’ll solicit Ian and he can drive also. Tim can ask Lindsey to go with us. I have a 15 year old sister. So she wouldn’t be alone with all of us guys.”

Mrs. Miller said, “I’ll talk to the other parents.” Mrs. Miller talked to the parents and made the arrangements and gave me the thumbs up. I cornered everyone and made the arrangements to go including Lindsey. Even Lauren and Patty agreed to go.

We agreed to meet at the Miller’s house the next morning at 6:30. The party finally ended and everyone seemed to have had a great time. Colonel Allen came to Lauren, Patty, Ian and me and thanked us for helping to make it such a successful party. I looked at him and said, “Sir, it was the teenagers who gave everyone a jump start. Thanks for inviting us. It has been a fun evening.”

When I got to my suite, there was a message on my phone saying, “Good thinking cous’. I love you.”

The next morning everyone was waiting at the Miller’s house when I pulled up. Everyone loaded into Ian’s, Patty’s and my cars. We drove to my parent’s home which was 75 miles southeast of Offutt Air Force Base.

My parent’s had a five bedroom house. I had called ahead and told my parent’s that we would be coming and to get ready to go visit my brother Ben and his wife Anita. I paired the people off so that there would be two people in a room and Chip and I would be spending the night in a small apartment over the garage which I had slept in ever since high school. It had been my safe haven.

Chip and I had our own shower so there would be no more mysteries about what we looked like naked.

As soon as we got everyone settled, I insisted that the parents go to Kansas City for the night. The guys all pitched and we did the work that Dad wanted done. I thought the four young guys were going to lose it when we were cleaning out gutters and loading manure into the spreader. They never complained though. The ladies tended to the cooking and after lunch I had Tina call two of her friends and invite them over for the evening so there would be equal number of males and females.

In the afternoon I showed the guys how to feed the livestock and they had no problem that, but it was hilarious watching them trying to put milking machine on the cows. By the time we finished, they were getting fairly good at it especially Chip and Alex. After the chores were finished we took a group shower in the milk house and put on the robes that my family kept there. We went to get dressed for the evening. After dinner we picked up Tina’s two friends who just happened to be fifteen year old twins. We went to a local carnival where we had a blast playing the games and making fools of ourselves. It was apparent that Alex and Tina were becoming a thing. Tina’s friends were paired off with Scott and Chip.

We had a snack and went back to the farm after dropping off Tina’s friends. We went to our bedrooms to get ready for bed. Chip made the most of being isolated with me. Since the apartment was small there was no way that we would not see each other naked so we didn’t even try to be modest. We looked but did not touch.

We crawled into bed in our briefs but I pulled Chip close and held him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. We just cuddled together. We seem to fit nicely together. There was nothing sexual about to happen.

We were awakened the next morning by Ian and Tim who were sharing a room. Chip and I were still in just our briefs when they came in. They attacked us and stated laughing. Chip and I got dressed and we went to do the farm chores.

After breakfast everyone got ready for church. We attended the Episcopal Church where my family went to church. After a quick lunch everyone went swimming in a small lake on the farm.

Chip and I left to do the evening milking and people were fixing the evening meal or whatever. Chip was becoming adept at this farm stuff and he was really enjoying the time alone with me. As we were finishing dinner, my parents arrived back and reported on Ben and Anita and the twins. We cleaned up and got ready to go. Everyone hugged and thanked my parents who in turn hugged us all as we left.

We got everyone dropped off and I was getting settled when the cell phone rang. I answered and heard, “Hey lover, we all had a great time. I can hardly wait until I’m 18. Gee whiz by then you will probably be in a wheel chair. I love you, goodnight.” Chip clicked off before I could say anything.

Normalcy resumed more or less on Monday morning. I went to the office to the office and the coffee was already finished. Tony looked at me and said, “Sir, I have a tentative schedule for the Colonel. Do you see any changes that I need to make?”

“Tony, I told you to report at noon.”

“Sir, Betsy had classes early this morning so I came back last night. We have agreed not to have sex until we are married.” Tony smiled.

“Tony the schedule looks fine.” I assured him

When the Colonel came in, Tony took him his coffee and handed him his schedule and several messages.

The Colonel called me into his office. “Troy, I don’t know if I can handle all this efficiency. Lauren was good but you two are going to be even better.”

I held up my hand and said, “Sir, I have done nothing. This is all Tony’s fault. I guess I had better look for another job. Next, he’ll be scheduling our bathroom breaks so that no one is the bathroom at the same time he is. I think that he already feeling good about what happened on Friday. I also think that he has the potential to be an outstanding professional airman but he needs to get his college degree first.”

“Sir, I am probably sticking my neck out on a limb but I think that Tony is smarter than most enlisted personnel and some officers.”

“Troy that is rather bold statement but I happen to share your biased opinion. Now that I have heard ten times how great you and your family are, my wife and I surrender. Alex is really taken by your sister. In fact, we had a phone call from Scott sharing his opinions about you and your family. The two agreed that they think you and your family are the greatest.”

“Sir, I never planned anything like this but I think everyone had a great time. I wish you could have seen the guys. They were all cleaning out stalls like they had been doing it for all their lives”

“The ladies were all great cooks. I know my parents enjoyed their day off. In fact I had an e-mail from my mother asking when we could come back and wash the windows.”

The Colonel laughed, “Yeah, I suppose there must be a lot of windows. According to Alex, your parents’ small house only has five bedrooms on the second floor with three bathrooms. He said that the kitchen and dining room are bigger the chow hall”

I said, “I don’t know for sure how many windows there in the main house but I know there are eight in my garage apartment.”

“Don’t remind me. Alex and Scott were talking on the phone about that and they want garage apartments just like yours.” the Colonel laughed.

Tony interrupted, “Sir, Lt. Colonel Williams is here for his appointment.”

“Thank you Tony, I’ll be right with him. Troy, we need to work out a signal. If I ask for two lumps that means that I would like for you to be available to take notes on the meeting. You can sit back there is the chair and take the notes and then you can give your notes to Tony and he can type them. If I say black please, that means you can leave. Let’s try it with Colonel Williams and see what happens.”

I went to the door, “Colonel Williams, Col Allen will see you now.”

Colonel Williams came into the office and I asked Colonel Allen if he would you like another cup of coffee?

“Yes Troy, with two lumps please.”

I turned to Colonel Williams and asked, “How about you Colonel Williams?”

“Yes just a cup of plain black would be nice.” he answered.

I handed them each a cup of black coffee and sat down with my notepad in the back of the room. They were discussing some purchasing matters which I knew nothing about but I felt there were some peculiar things going on from the conversations the two were having. Lt. Colonel Williams left and I handed the notes of the conversation to Tony. I went back in and placed another pad on the table beside where I was sitting.

I said, “Colonel Allen, there were some inconsistencies in what Lt. Colonel Williams said. I can’t put my finger on the problem right now. I have Tony typing the notes now. Maybe when you read them you can pick up on the problem.”

The Colonel looked at me and asked, “Are you sure Troy?”

“No sir, but I just have the feeling something is not quite right.”

Tony knocked and announced, “Colonel, there is a Mrs. Jackson here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment but says that is important that she talk to you.”

“Tony, show her in. I don’t have another appointment until 11:00.”

Troy stood and greeted the lady, “Hi, I’m Lt. Nelson may I bring you something to drink?”

“Young man, thank you for asking. I would like something cold that it is non-carbonated. Juice would be fine or even some water.”

Colonel Allen said, “Troy I’ll have coffee with two cubes.”

Troy handed Mrs. Jackson a glass of orange juice and the Colonel his coffee.

“Ma’am, how may I help you?” the Colonel asked.

“First stop calling me ma’am and have the young lieutenant come and sit with us. I can see that he is taking notes. That way he won’t have to strain his ears to hear what we are saying. I have to say this sir; you sure do have two handsome hunks working for you.”

“Ma’am, I’m sure you didn’t come to discuss the hunks, now how may I help you?” the Colonel asked.

“I have been working on the base almost 40 years and you did something last week that needed to be done for a long time. You got rid of that sex fiend and his henchman the First Sergeant. Now you need to clean up the Procurement Office. I can get you some proof that will probably get some people court marshaled and some civilians fired at no cost to the government. When you have been around as long as I have been people think you are senile.”

“Sir, there is a whole bunch of payback going on that is costing the government a lot of money. I could tell you some names but I think it would be advisable to get the inspectors involved. I don’t want to be signaled out as the mole though because I have 18 grandchildren and I am taking care of several foster children.”

Colonel Allen looked at Mrs. Jackson. “Funny that you should choose today to come to the office, we just had a meeting a meeting with Lt. Col. Williams.”

“I know sir; his royal highness is good at blowing smoke but he is also one of the culprits most deeply involved in the shady activities that are taking place. I would never trust him to invest my money if I had any.” Mrs. Jackson said.

I spoke up, “Colonel, I’m going to go see if Tony has the transcription of the discussion with Lt. Col. Williams completed. Maybe you and Mrs. Jackson can review the papers together. I just feel that everything wasn’t what it seemed to be.”

I left and came back with three copies of the discussion between Colonel Allen and Lt. Colonel Williams. The three of us read the transcript and when everyone had finished. The Colonel asked, “Troy, do you still feel that something is wrong?”

“Yes sir, it was like Colonel Williams was talking in circles. First he was telling you that everything was going along fine and then the next thing he said would indicate that there would be some major overrun expenditures.”

The Colonel looked at Mrs. Jackson and asked, “Ma’am, what do get out of the transcript?”

“Sir, my name is Maggie not Ma’am. I think he was blowing smoke so fast that it was burning holes in the atmosphere. I know for a fact that the contractors on several of the contracts were ones that came in with bids on the high side. I also have noticed that the same contractors have tended to get the contracts more and more frequently in the last four years since Lt. Col. Williams has been here. You do realize that he is planning to retire in two months. I guess he wanted to make sure he had enough money to cover his gambling losses.

“Maggie, you have made some damaging comments about Lt. Colonel Williams.” Colonel Allen said.

“Sir, I meant every word I said but I still think that you need to call in an outside team to collect the evidence. No one is going to believe an old black lady if I charged the people with their wrong doings.” Maggie answered.

Colonel Allen picked the phone and dialed a number. “I would like to speak General Lucas, this is Colonel Allen.”

The Colonel was quiet and when he started to speak he said, “Hi Winston, this is Allen. I would like to have an IG inspection of the wing as soon as possible. I am particularly concerned about several departments. How soon can you do it? … Great, I’ll see you in my office at 1300 hours. I’ll have a young lady with me that will tell you and your team why you are here.”

Colonel Allen hung up and said, “Troy, you take Maggie and Tony and get us something to eat. It is going to be a complete turmoil around here for the next couple of days. You and Tony are going to be so busy you won’t have time to go to the bathroom. Maggie after the investigation you will be moving to my office to be my receptionist and our listening ears.”

The IG team hit and after Colonel Allen told them what he thought was going on they went to work paying particular attention to the Procurement and Contracting office. They ripped those to offices apart based on the information that Maggie provide to them. They also did a job on the several other departments. As a result there were a number of resignations and retirements as well as number of persons who were demoted or reassigned.

When the IG team made its final report, they commended the Colonel and his immediate staff for providing such a warm and outstanding environment. They especially cited Troy, Tony, and Maggie.

Maggie was moved into the receptionist position much to her dismay. She reminded everyone, “I don’t do dictation. I practically invented the computer but I’m basically a number cruncher.”

Tony said, “Your job is to charm the pants off of the visitors. Lt. Nelson and I will take care of the dictation and transcribing. You’ll have the entire wing eating out of your hand in no time.”

Maggie said, “I’ll be broke in no time if I have to feed 2000 people.”

The Colonel said, “Don’t worry Maggie. As of now you are a GS 9. You’ll have so much money that you won’t know what to do with it.”

“Does that mean I get to be the boss of the office?” Maggie asked.

“Mrs. Jackson, you can do whatever you think is necessary but I have the feeling that the three of you will be a very effective team. Now get out of here and report at 0800 in the morning.” the Colonel laughed.

 To be continued... 

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Posted: 05/11/07