We had quite the party that night. Wooley's friend, the buyer of the trike was ecstatic with his new toy. And the fact that we had wrung it out on the way down didn't bother him at all. After all, it was under warranty just like every new bike we sell.
Of course, because of the medications my doctors give me I'n not allowed to drink so I finally decided to walk outside where things were a little quieter and watch the waves crash on the beach under the light of the full moon. "Something wrong?" the Veggicycle asked.
"What makes you think that?" I questioned.
"Well," he replied, "for starters you answered my question with a question."
"And that means there's something wrong?" I asked.
"And secondly," the Veggiecycle added, "you're trying to change the subject."
"No I'm not," I argued.
"And thirdly," he continued, "you're becoming argumentative with a motorcycle."
"Okay," I laughed, "you caught me. There is something wrong. I just don't want to talk about it."
"It's Margaretta," the Veggiecycle said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Margaretta," the Veggiecycle explained. "The girl from the cantina down in Mexico."
"I haven't seen her in over thirty years," I growled.
"That's not true," he said. "You see Margaretta every time you see Bobbie."
"How would you know?" I grumbled. "You couldn't even talk then."
"No," he agreed, "I couldn't talk then but I could see just like everyone else could see. You risked life and limb to be with her. Even Veggie Head Stalker couldn't drag you out of that cantina without her. When those banditos tried to chase you away you fought them all until they almost killed you. They would have killed you had Veggie not knocked you unconscious and dragged you out of there."
"Veggie, knocked me unconscious!" I shouted. "I thought one of the banditos knocked me out! You just wait 'til we get back to Burlington, I'll show ol' Veg Head a thing or..."
"Why all the shouting, Grandpa?" a soft voice from behind me spoke. I turned around to see it was Bobbie. "It's a beautiful night and being that I've already had a few drinks I was hoping you would take me for a ride along the beach road."
"I was kinda hoping that extra seat might help me find some hot babe," I said. "Hoping I might get lucky away from home."
"I don't know about lucky," Bobbie smiled, "but do you think you're apt to find much hotter than me?"
"Put your helmet on," I smiled, "and watch where you put your hands."
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We rode north along the Outer Banks with the Atlantic Ocean to our right and the Inter-coastal Waterway to our left Bobbie holding on her arms around my waist. I imagined myself 35 years younger and what I might do. The Veggicycle had been right, I did see Margaretta every time I looked at Bobbie. The resemblance was uncanny. Even the way she moved, her riding style, her hobbies, waiting tables for a living, working on and riding bikes... those were all things Margaretta did. And Bobbie was brilliant, worldly and wise like Margaretta had been. I guess Veggie knocking me out had been for the best. The cantina was already fully engulfed in flames when we got there and I could see Margaretta on fire as I tried to fight my way past the banditos to pull her out but there was no way I would have survived. They had beaten me almost to death as it was. I swore that someday I would go back and kill them all but I never set foot in Mexico again. I was just too scared to go back.
I found a nice place to pull over and parked the bike. "Look what I got," Bobbie said reaching into the pockets of her jacket. "Salt and a lemon but no Tequila. It fell out of my pocket."
"I got Tequila in my saddlebag," I said. "You want some?"
"But I thought you didn't drink?" Bobbie asked.
"Not in several years," I answered, "Somebody gave it to me and told me to keep it until I found somebody special to share it with."
"What was her name?" Bobbie asked.
"What was who's name," I answered with a question.
"The woman who gave you the Tequila and told you to share it with somebody special," Bobby said.
"Margaretta," I answered.
"What was Margaretta like?" Bobbie asked.
"Like you," I said. "Young, beautiful, smart, good with her hands, a great leader."
"You were in love with her?" Bobbie asked.
"In some ways I still am," I answered.
"I'll drink to that," Bobbie grinned.
I opened the bottle and handed it to her, "Careful, this is the real deal."
"How will I know when I become a great leader?" Bobbie asked.
"Beats me," I said, "I've never been much of a leader."
"But you are a leader," Bobbie said.
"I just step in and take over when no one else can or will," I replied. "I drag people into following me. People follow great leaders because they want to follow them."
"You didn't drag me in," Bobbie said.
"No I didn't," I replied looking up at the full moon. "I seduced you."
"I beg your pardon," Bobbie questioned. She was already a little tipsy.
"With a paycheck," I explained. "I seduced you with a weekly paycheck."
"You mean a weak paycheck," Bobbie smiled.
"That too," I admitted, "None of you make as much as I wish we could pay you but did you know I draw the smallest paycheck in the entire company?"
"Why?" Bobbie asked.
"Because I need all of you more than I need the money," I answered.
"You're a sweet grandpa," Bobbie said. Then she kissed me.
"Careful," I said. "I may look like a sweet grandpa but I'm still a dirty old man.
"I'm safe with you," Bobbie laughed. "You couldn't live with yourself if you let anything bad happen to me."
The excitement of a long day had caught up with her. Two shots later she was passed out and sleeping by my side. I screwed the cap on the bottle and did what grandpas do-- I gave her the blanket out of my saddlebag and watched her sleep until morning. Don't let anybody tell you hot young babes don't snore. When they're passed out drunk on the beach they all snore. Grandpas know.
Continue to Life Is A Zoo
