The Mustang Chronicles - Day Four (The Final Day)

(If you missed them, you can read all of them here: Day One, Two, Three.)


Day Four-The Final Day


As you have probably surmised by now, I was awakened to the trash can and stick routine once again. Mustang said he couldn't sleep and sure enough there he stood, full ruck sack, steel pot helmet. In a tee-shirt, boxer shorts, and knee-high dress socks.

He said he wanted to tell me how much he enjoyed have someone to order around, just like it was in the days when he was a battalion commander in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said the "appreciated the loyalty and devotion" that I had showed him the day before, when he made his 25 or more scenes at Epcot. He further stated, "I could have never avoided arrest so many times in a such a public place, had you not been there to think of these schemes to hide from security" "You are brilliant, I tell you."

I tried to say that was okay, that's what friends are for, and all of the other things one would say to get him to shut up so I could get some more sleep. But it was to no avail. He just kept going over the same things over and over again. So, I performed a mini-mental status exam on him (name, date, location, President of the US). When I completed it, I came to the conclusion that he was sleep walking. Once I was able to make this determination free from any prejudicial bias, I realized the best way to handle this situation.

I pointed him toward the master quarters, informing him the alert had been canceled, and we could talk about the training schedule more in detail after morning formation. That seemed to do the trick for the moment.

Later in the morning, he came into my room and asked, "Why is my ruck sack packed, was there an alert you didn't tell me about?" I assured him that was not the case. His comeback to that one, was not totally unexpected. "That's biggest bunch of crap, I have ever heard, LA!!", he bellowed. "At the very least, you could try to be creative when you are trying to blow smoke at me; you could try to give me a BS excuse I have never heard, and you know, make a little interesting!!", he went on. "Is that too much to ask for someone who has gone to such lengths to entertain you, and show you a good time?"

At that point in time, the conversation shifted back to me and my disloyalty. "LA", he said, "you have dishonored yourself and the platoon." "For that", he further went on, "you are hear by ordered to cut the grass, before I take you back to the airport today." So I skipped breakfast and got started. I cut the lawn, trimmed the hedges, edged the grass, and planted flowers. And I did it, in two hours.

With some time left before we were due to start out for the airport, he allowed me one more pass into town to buy souvenirs. The shops were not very busy, but trying to find things for people who have everything isn't particularly easy, when you go to do it. You can think about what this person would like and so forth. But when it comes time to actually do it, it's a challenge. Put that with having to get whatever you buy into a suitcase, and you can see the dilemma I faced.

But not to worry, Mustang was going to take care of that.

He was in such a hurry. He pressed me at every turn. I tried to haggle with the clerks a little for some things, but he just kept telling them how loaded I was and what a cheap bastard I was. Naturally, the stories about my poor old grandmother needing a tee-shirt with a grandma on a jet ski for 30% off, were successfully subverted by him when he intervened. So I told him to take me to the airport and I would shop for souvenirs while waiting for my flight. Never mind that I would pay 75% more for what I could get in this little town, I just had to get out from the micromanaging thumb of a retired Marine officer that had no authority anymore.

It was at that point that I realized I was nothing more than someone he could boss around, because the Mrs. had stripped him of his rank after his retirement. I came to an additional conclusion: Some of his edginess was due his inability to separate appropriately.

Naturally, when I had this epiphany, I started to feel a little sorry for him. But just as I had come to this moment of catharsis, we pulled up to the terminal. and that sorry feeling I had, disappeared quickly.

Mustang was out of the vehicle first, with my luggage in his hands. And before I could get my seat belt off, he had my bags checked in. By the time I was completely out of the vehicle, he threw my baggage claim check and boarding pass at me and he re-entered his vehicle, in a flash of a second. He then, threw it into gear and peeled off with tires screeching. As drove off out of sight, I heard him yell out his window at me one last time, "LA, you are one selfish bastard and I hope you get a rash".

Hurt and disgusted, I bought some souvenirs, boarded the plane, and started my journey home. On the flight, I was so tired, I fell asleep. When I awakened, I found myself in my own bed, with the alarm going off. I hadn't been to Florida yet!!! I still had a plane to catch!!!

So, I threw the remaining things together, turned the house alarm on, and headed for the airport to catch a plane that was to take me to a visit with my friend. Off to Florida, was I.

And I have to say that after all of this silliness we have written the past four weeks, I could not have asked for two better hosts, the entire time. In fact, I count both Mr. and Mrs. Mustang as two of the finest people I have ever known in my life. Their hospitality was unmatched by anyone. The food was great and the company was even better. The sights of Florida were as I remembered them and the weather was outstanding.

So after all is said and done, I have to say the entire trip went way too fast. And as I left the truck for my return trip, I did tell Mustang I would not be back to visit next year. He looked confused and naturally he asked why? I told him that was because Mrs. Sunsett and I would be moving in with him, after the first of the year.