Free Driver, T. C. by The Great Ark Page A

demanded Unk, raising his voice.
    I was sure from way back at the corner table talk with Joe Coe back on ship, that they wanted a tail stall landing. They just needed someone stupid enough to put their butt on the line. Yes, a glory seeking sucker to do it. Back in the day at that old Paris air show, the aviation world was all abuzz when I landed my jet in the middle of the stadium. I used a nose in the air vertical descent and then slammed to the ground with a not so gentle bounce. My plane's wheels dug so deep into the football field grass that my back has never been right since that day! I rubbed my aching back and said “Still, that stunt was very impressive 'back in the day'!”
    The big air show was full of good times. In this life, I have been blessed with more than my share. Sarah and I soon grew so close that she stopped 'hiding me'. One night at her place, she popped the big question.
    “I want to do the stunt” she said softly. “Oh, please, Cornelius.”
    “What stunt?” I asked her.
    “You know” she shouted. “Your stunt, I can do it!”
    “Sarah, is this about beating Haley at something?” I snapped.
    “If you love me, truly love me, Cornelius, you will let me do the stunt. I've been practicing every day at ten thousand feet. I'm a great pilot. I deserve a shot. I deserve to be in the show!” She started to cry. Sarah got up from my old laptop computer and angrily stormed to her room,    slamming the door behind her. She was crying pretty good; a lifetime of practice. Her act was impressive. You have to be good to impress an old fart like me. I have known some great criers in my time. Things were not looking up; we had not had our daily sex romp yet!
    My heart was troubled. I did care for her 'a little bit'. Should I protect her like her Daddy or give her a shot at fame? She was a highly skilled pilot in the new B48 planes and yes, a spoiled brat! I poured myself some red wine and sat down to think. Sarah had not closed her face book. My heart was grieved by her page. She was in competition with her sisters in another race, a race to download the first Coe grandchild. All of the Coe sister's baby clocks were now being pushed forward by their younger brother's unwelcome girlfriend, Katie. No, Katie would not have the first-born Coe heir! My heart sank as I shut down the computer. I sat back in the chair, ashamed of my tears, focusing my mind on the upcoming stunt. Yes, ground effects on the flight of her plane had to be taught.    Let’s see, the odds of breaking something on the plane during landing, is about 50/50. Her odds of the plane flipping backwards or rolling sideways into the grandstands is about 20%. What is love all about, protection or respect? Worst, I had played the old fool, just as I had feared. Had Sarah been with me to get back at her overprotective father? Maybe she just used me for great sex, or maybe to butter me up to get her way in the stunt. I guess it could be all of the above, plus the sibling baby race. Daddy will be pissed! That's life, you old fool, get over it (ha-ha)!
    The Big Air Show and our little honeymoon both were almost over. I had seen some good times for a short season. Now dark storm clouds were forming on the horizon.
    A few days later the big finale came. This was the last day of the show. That day, I realized that the 'lust' Sarah and I shared was not real love at all; no, not the forever kind. Nothing like what Patty and I had. Sarah and I were just a couple of players; each playing out their cards. This world can fool you quickly; very quickly. It makes one play the fool. Now was not the time for breaking-up. This was her moment. It was time for friends to support each other.   We kissed and then Sarah climbed into the cockpit with my codes and the show's tower call signs. I went over each and every step of 'the stunt' once again. Not on the simulator this time, but just talking; making believe my hand was the airplane. Sarah took off to 'fame' or