Childhood
Just starting his shift, Lee sighed as he looked through his camera
lens. The audio and video equipment set up on the table were running. It
had already been two days and nothing had happened. The snow on the slopes was beautiful, perfect for skiing; but there would be no skiing until this assignment was wrapped up.
Stevens opened the door and Mrs. King walked in carrying bags of
groceries. "Hi, fellas. How is it going?"
"Still nothing, see you tonight," said the agent going off duty on
his way out the door.
"Good morning, Lee," she said as she began unloading the bags. "Are you hungry?"
Scarecrow acknowledged her greeting, still observing the terrace of
the ski lodge down the hill. "Hi, and you know I don't eat breakfast."
"Coffee?"
"Sure, why not," he agreed.
She looked at the sludge in the bottom of the coffee pot and decided
to wash it, "I will make some fresh." Minutes later Amanda handed a mug to Lee. "See anything interesting?"
"Yeah, fresh power on the slopes," he answered.
"Can I ask you something?"
He glanced at her before agreeing, "ok, what do you want to know?"
"When did you learn to ski?" When he did not reply she added, "you
don't have to tell me; after all I don't have a 'need to know'."
He smiled, "alright. I was about eight years old. My uncle was
stationed in Germany.
"Well, don't stop there. Your childhood isn't classified, is it?"
she asked.
Scarecrow appeared to consider the matter before he grinned at her
annoyed expression. "No, my childhood is not classified. I had been with my uncle for about six months. He was an army captain at the time. He believed that a kid should be busy all the time."
"How old was he?" she asked.
Lee stopped to think a moment, "late twenties, I guess."
"How did he keep you busy?"
"After school he had me in classes; German, sports, there were
chores, of course, and on weekends, field trips all around Germany. He said
that I should learn about the country I was living in," he told her.
Amanda looked thoughtful, "that really is a good idea. I wonder how
a young man, who hadn't been around kids, figured it out."
"It kept me out of his hair," Lee replied.
"There must have been more to it than that, he could have just gotten
you a babysitter. He didn't have to give you field trips, teach you German,
or have you involved in sports," she observed. "So tell me more."
He shrugged his shoulders, "ok, what next?" he asked still watching
down the slope.
"When did you learn to fight?"
Lee smiled, "I was ten. Some boys were picking on a girl I liked and
I stood up for her. I got beaten up pretty bad."
She just looked at him and waiting for him to continue.
"My uncle told me that if I was going to rescue damsels in distress I
needed to win. Next question?"
Amanda grinned, "ok, sometimes you have the most beautiful
manners...and other times..."
Stetson turned to look at her, "I don't remember it but my mother and
father insisted on my being polite. Then I lived with my maternal grandmother in England after my parents died. She told me that good manners were the mark of the true gentleman... and I got my rear end paddled if she thought I had been rude. She died when I was seven."
"My uncle flew over to get me. He also demanded good manners and so did anyone he left me with when he had to be away - days, weeks, months, years.
"So when you are rude it is because you forgot your last spanking?" He studied her for a moment before saying, "no. Anything else you want to know?"
"Of course", she replied. "How did you learn to cook?"
Scarecrow adjusted the video camera slightly before answering, "that
started the first time he left me with Barney. Barney ran one of the mess halls. I made a slighting comment about something at dinner, not polite
at all. Instead of warming my backside, Barney told me I had better be able
to do it better ... When I couldn't, he made me spend hours in the kitchen so
I would appreciate the work involved. It just continued from there."
"Dancing?"
"Always there, folk dancing in different countries, music was always
part of it."
Amanda nodded, "when did you decide you wanted to become a spy? I mean an intelligence operative? and why?"
Stetson laughed, "the why is easy; danger, excitement, intrigue and
girls. I don't really remember when but spy movies; James Bond always had
the fanciest car, best equipment, tailor made clothes, and lots and lots of
gorgeous girls. Spies always spoke many different languages, traveled, had adventures, and were always saving the world. It just all came together. Anything else?"
She nodded, "it is now mid-morning. Are you hungry yet?"
End