Nordquist's Folly

By Jim Walker

In a world of hurt, you can find love in the most unexpected places.
A short comedy of loss and redemption.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Walker
• Release date: Dec 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9780986623615

Jim Walker

Most of my writing centers around the West Coast of Canada, my love for the Rockies and travel. My books reflect the unusual and the exciting one can discover each and every day.

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NORDQUIST’S FOLLY

by

Jim Walker

SMASHWORDS EDITON

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Published by

Jim Walker on Smashwords

Nordquist’s Folly

Copyright © 2016, James (Jim) R. Walker

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

978-0-9866236-1-5

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NORDQUIST’S FOLLY

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Acknowledgements

I have been remiss in acknowledging the people and organizations that had not only inspired this story, but who provided valuable insights. Please believe that any errors or omissions are the writer's.

This is a work of fiction; however, some events are historic and certainly the PBY Catalina (called the Canso in Commonwealth countries) is an artefact out of history. Conceived of and built in the late 1920's. It was pressed into service in the mid-1930's, doing service when fighter aircraft of that era were still made of fabric and lumber. The PBY is still flying today.

I had an enjoyable afternoon looking over C-FUAW, a former RCAF Canso (11024) that had been brought to Victoria by the BC Aviation Museum Society in 2013. She was, at that time, one of fifteen flyable aircraft faithfully restored and maintained by The Catalina Preservation Society (TCPS) located in North Saanich, BC.

Much thanks go to the volunteers of both the Aviation Museum and TCPS for their help and insights into this remarkable aircraft, her history and her crews.

Also, I would like to thank Becky Tibble for her inspired cover art.

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NORDQUIST’S FOLLY

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The crew, if needed, could find me and TJ lounging, his legs crossed on the porch railing admiring the light show put on for our exclusive enjoyment by another tropical sunset. At these latitudes, the sun seemed to squat, then spread out gibbous, on a geometric line separating water from air. Sometimes, clouds would get into the act to add a parenthetical splash of their own colors, the likes of which I doubt Gauguin could capture even on his best day.

Yup, we were enjoying that special time; the one where you have earned your daily bread, your stomach is full, and you are not quite ready to settle in for the night. Maybe, if you look hard enough, you will see the first star of the new evening. Maybe, it only happens once-in-a-while, you will find yourself caught up in that precious, endless pause before the sun’s down and sleep beckons. When it happens, it’s golden.

Out here you make your own entertainment. Like, me watching TJ lean the back of his kitchen chair perfectly positioned to brace against the clapboard. His long legs propped on the railing. His a beer is dangling between two fingers; absolutely, completely relaxed. He, exerting just enough effort to hold the bottle by its neck, bring it into motion to his mouth, swallow, Adam’s apple bobbing. Then its long, easy fall back to dangling by his side hovering an inch-and-a-fraction above the floor. His slow, easy movement, sitting sipping a beer are an exquisite dance to some unheard melody accompanied by the distant boom of the rollers on the beach.

A beat that we both feel in that moment. My legs are not long enough for that kind of performance. I sort of slouch crossways in the beaten-up leather armchair that had come to the island from God knows where, feet braced up against the railing slats.

Nice to put your feet up at the end of the day, I say taking a sip from my tumbler. (Scotch-rocks, condensation beading the glass leaving a ring on my shirt where I had the glass propped on my paunch.)

Yeah, Doc. Nice.

TJ could express more in three words adding a grace note from his body language than we verbose types can in