“Doing good, and you?”
“I’m living the Navy dream, baby!” Joseph yelled out.
“That’s good, so you are still coming home on leave?”
“Yeah, that’s one reason I’m calling. Got my ticket and you can pick me up May first at 2300 at Little Rock,” Joseph said. “Man, I can’t wait to see the place! I miss those hills and trees. The guys think I’m crazy spending thirty-two days at home.”
Grabbing a marker, Arthur made a note on the dry erase board beside the phone. “Well, the place misses you, but not as much as we do,” Arthur said, dropping the marker. “You find a woman yet and start on some grandkids?”
Giving a long groan, “Dad, please,” Joseph moaned. “I will give you some grandkids, I swear. I’m only twenty-four, I have plenty of time.”
“What about us?” Arthur chuckled.
“I have a layover in Greece, I should just find a kid and bring them so you and mom will give me a breather,” Joseph offered.
“Hey, we’ll take it,” Arthur laughed, walking back outside and Wendy turned. Seeing the happiness on Arthur’s face, she knew who he was talking to.
“He find a girl yet?” Wendy asked in a low voice and Arthur shook his head. “He doesn’t have to marry them. Just shack up with one, he’s handsome enough,” she cried out, throwing her hands up.
“Tell mom, I heard that,” Joseph replied in a flat voice.
“Son,” Arthur said. “You know damn well she wanted you to.”
Busting out laughing, “Yeah, mom may not cuss much, but she damn sure doesn’t mind letting others know how she feels,” Joseph howled.
Getting serious, “Son, did you say one reason you called was to confirm your flight?” Arthur asked.
“Yep,” Joseph shouted proudly. “When I report back for duty after I leave the farm, I report to Tampa on June second and learn to fly F-18s. I’m going to be a real Naval Aviator and not a delivery man.”
“That’s great!” Arthur said enthusiastically. He and Wendy didn’t like Joseph in the service, but it was his life. If the military was used as it was supposed to, they would’ve liked it more, but they always supported Joseph no matter what he did. They understood the military was being used like a police force for the large corporations to make tons of money.
But that had been Joseph’s dream, to be shot off a carrier in a fighter and then become a Navy SEAL. As Joseph’s parents, be damned if they would stand in the way of his dreams.
“Is mom still going on the cruise?” Joseph asked.
“Yeah, twenty-one days through the Caribbean with her sister and the girls from church,” Arthur answered. “She leaves April twenty-third and will be back on May fifteenth so you will get to spend half your leave with her.”
“You tell her she’d better go,” Joseph snapped. “The deal they got on tickets should be illegal.”
Giving a curt chuckle, “I said the same thing,” Arthur agreed.
“Let me talk to mom. I don’t want to know how much you are paying for my sat phone,” Joseph said.
“To talk to our boy, it’s well worth it,” Arthur told him. “You call if you need anything or think of something you want to do when you get here.”
Giving a homesick sigh, “I just want to walk the land, dad. Then maybe fish in the ponds,” Joseph answered.
“Love you, son. Here’s your mom,” Arthur said and handed the phone to Wendy.
“Hey, big man,” Wendy sang out as Arthur sat down. Wendy talked to Joseph for half an hour and then said goodbye.
Setting the phone on the glass table between them, “I should cancel,” she said.
“Babe,” Arthur said, throwing up his hands. “You have been looking forward to this trip for eight months since you got the tickets.”
“You were never going,” Wendy said, reaching over and squeezing his hand.
“Babe, we can’t leave the farm for that long anymore,” Arthur said. At one time, they’d had a worker named Jason. He had started working for them soon after they’d bought the land but a year ago, he had died in a car crash and they didn’t like anyone who’d applied for the job since.
“I know, but it’s been a year and a half since I’ve seen my baby,” Wendy pouted.
“You will get to spend over two weeks with him and I say, let’s drive him to Tampa,” Arthur suggested. “We would only be gone a few days and that’s not a problem for the farm.”
Raising her eyebrows, “Well,” Wendy mumbled.
“Babe, this will give me and Joseph time to bond, walking around and farting and such,” Arthur said in a serious voice.
Busting out laughing, Wendy almost slid out of her chair. “You two better have all that out before I get home,” she howled, kicking the floor. “I can still remember having to run out of the house for a breath of fresh air.”
As Wendy stopped laughing, Arthur shrugged his shoulders. “Besides, I used my chemistry set to cook up some date rape drugs. I’m going to drug Joseph and grab a hooker to rape his ass, then tie her up in the barn until she delivers.”
“Arthur,” Wendy snapped, making him turn to look at her. “You don’t tie her up in the barn. Tie her up in the basement, so we can tend to her.”
Nodding with a grin, “Yeah, that is a better place,” Arthur said.
Wendy held his hand tight as she looked out over the rise. She had come from a large family, but Arthur had spent his life in foster homes until he’d graduated high school. That was the only thing she felt bad about in the marriage. She couldn’t give Arthur more kids, but it showed her how much he loved her.
“He will give us grandkids,” Wendy said in
