“Would you be in the market for shoes?” the clerk asked hopefully.
“Yes, sir. I believe so,” Reno followed the man to examine the available selection.
While they were looking at shoes, Journey found the underwear department. She decided briefs were more his style. Baggy boxers didn’t really appeal to her. Just imagining how Reno would look with his manhood molded by soft white fabric, tight enough for her to make out his shape and size, made her fan herself to cool down. “Whoa, Nelly. Quit picturing Reno’s junk.”
“What junk?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice. “Don’t slip up on me!”
He gave her a teasing smile. “Find anything?”
“Yes.” She handed him two packages, each containing three pairs of briefs. “This will do. If you want, you can change into some of the clothing before we leave.”
“Good idea.” He held up a pair of the jeans. “Like you said, these are cooler and a lot more comfortable.”
“I’ll wait,” she promised, finding a seat near the dressing room.
When it came time to pay, Reno pulled out a small bag, and extracted a gold coin. Journey realized he was about to try and pay for the clothing with a twenty-dollar gold piece. “I’ll get this.” She placed her hand on his and pushed the bag down.
“What?” he started to protest, but the look she gave him quelled his response. “Very well.”
The salesclerk eyed them both a bit suspiciously, but he processed her credit card just the same. “Here’s your receipt. Thank you for your business. Come again soon.”
“We will.” Reno offered the man his hand and they shook.
Once they were out of the store, Journey breathed a bit easier. “The money you’re carrying is worth a lot more than its face value.”
“How much more?”
“Several thousand dollars, I’d imagine.”
“Are you certain?” Reno looked stunned. “How is that possible?”
“Lots of reasons. It’s rare. Gold. We’ve had record inflation in the past century. You look nice by the way.”
“Thanks.” His smile was as bright as the sun.
“You’re welcome.” She took the car remote from her pocket to unlock the door. When she pressed the button, Reno reached for it.
“May I see that, please?”
After handing it over to him, she waited with amusement while he locked and unlocked the doors several times. He liked the clicking noise.
“Enough. You’re going to wear out my battery.”
He stared at the small remote. “This works with batteries?”
“Yes, like the television remote at home.”
“Hmmm.” Reno turned it over in his hand. “I’ve seen the batteries used in the telegraph office. They are much bigger.”
She opened the backseat so he could deposit the purchases. “That’s the way of things. Most electrical gadgets have gotten smaller over time. Computers. Phones. Only televisions have gotten bigger.”
“Makes sense,” he muttered as he climbed in the vehicle. “Televisions should be huge.”
“You’re going to fit into this modern world with no problem,” Journey observed as she settled behind the wheel. “Next stop is the library.”
As the car moved slowly down the busy street, Reno observed everything with interest. “Art galleries, wine shops, a bakery.” He named the stores as they passed by. “Oh, look a general mercantile, that looks familiar.”
“Do you need anything? Any toiletries?” She’d given him a new toothbrush and toothpaste. “Anything for your hair?”
“I could use a few things,” Reno admitted. “I don’t want to keep using your money, however.”
“No worries. I’ll get them now. When we get home, I’ll try to find a place for you to sell some of your coins in exchange for modern money.”
A little while later, they were on the road again and Reno was delving into the sack filled with shampoo, deodorant, dental floss, a razor, shaving cream, and a comb. “I look forward to using these products. Thank you.”
“Glad to do it.”
“Explain the card you use to make the purchases.”
Journey explained the intricacies of the credit system. “A bank issues the card and sets a credit limit for me based on my ability to repay it. Some people have a two-thousand-dollar limit, and some have a million-dollar limit. Mine is in between at ten thousand dollars.”
“The card allows the bank to pay for the purchases and then you pay back the bank,” he said slowly. “Sounds like extra trouble to me when you could just pay for it yourself to begin with.”
Journey laughed. “You’re right. Go figure.” Ahead, she noticed something that might interest him. “How do you feel about big boats?”
With his curiosity aroused, she stopped at the museum. Once they were out of the Subaru, she spoke softly to him as they neared the entrance. “This is the National Museum for the Pacific War. During World War II, the commander of the Pacific fleet was a man who grew up here in Fredericksburg. His name was Chester Nimitz.” As they entered into the building and made their way through the displays, Journey explained to him how the world came to be at war. She told him about Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Hirohito. She also spoke of Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower.”
Reno was mesmerized and full of questions. He looked at films and photos of fighter planes and aircraft carriers. He was shocked by the sheer size of the carriers. When he came to a display depicting the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, he stood, stunned. “A bomb did this destruction?”
“Nuclear bombs, yes.”
“I want to know more about them.”
“I’ll find some articles for you when we get home.”
Journey explained the importance of the war. How Hitler slaughtered the Jewish people and how the Allies stood up to prevent Hitler and the Axis nations from overtaking the world.
“I would’ve thought
