Q is for Quarters
Spare change wasn't easy to find on base. There simply wasn't anything or anywhere to spend money there so people rarely kept a lot of funds with them. But there were few things more driven than a determined Drip, and Drip was currently determined to find a stack of coins.
He of course started with the low-hanging fruit. He asked his fellow smokejumpers for a loan, he checked under the sleeping mats, and even dug through the various junk drawers tucked around base, but no coins were to be found. So Drip widened his search. He asked the planes, who all peered down at him with curiosity, he climbed up to the top of the tower and pestered Patch for some help, and he seriously considered the Chief for help…though one look of the helicopter napping on the tarmac made him rethink that idea…but still there was no coins to be found. Drip then decided to head to where he probably should have headed to in the first place. He went to visit the base's official packrat.
The little smokejumper had always found Maru's hanger to be a place filled with wonders. There was just so much stuff to look at…and if you were really careful and Maru wasn't looking, poke. The hanger was also a black hole of chaos, where objects would disappear forever unless they were retrieved by the wizard of Piston Peak Air Attack Base.
"Maru…" Drip called into the cavernous space.
"What?" Maru sighed as he peeked his head out of his personal space.
"Do you have any quarters?" Drip asked timidly.
"Why?" Drip refused to meet the Mechanic's eyes. After it was clear that Maru wasn't going to get an answer, he sighed again simply rolled into one of his back rooms. A few moments later he returned with a roll of quarters. "I will be keeping track of how many you use and I expect you to repay me by the end of the season because I need to use them to run shop rags through the laundry mat."
"Understood. Thanks!" Drip practically bounced on his treads as he rushed out of the hangar door.
Quarter quest completed, Drip headed to his ultimate destination…Windlifter's Hanger. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the Skycrane's hanger door.
"Yes?" The helicopter's voice came from inside.
"Um…" The little smokejumper pauses not sure exactly what he should do next, but he swallowed his panic and spoke softly. "Can I come inside?"
There was complete silence and Drip feared that his mission might have failed, then Windlifter's door creaked open. The helicopter moved backward to allow Drip to enter his sanctum. The moment that the little vehicle rolled it he was taken back just how big Windlifter's home was…and just how richly decorated it was. Even the cement floors had been stained with an intricate series of patterns.
Drip wasn't sure how long he stared, but when he finally came to his senses, Windlifter was sitting on one of his sitting maps his blades sitting at an angle that indicated curiosity. Drip allowed his mouth to snap close and tried to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks. Nervously he rolled up to Windlifter and gingerly placed the entire roll of quarters in front of the helicopter before cautiously backing away to a comfortable distance.
"And what is this for?" Windlifter glanced down at the coins and then gave Drip a raised eyebrow.
"I…well…" Drip tried to form a coherent thought and failed.
"Spit it out."
"I…"
"If it helps you can look away." Windlifter prompted, though Drip could practically the 'this time' hanging in the air. That said the little smokejumper was relived. He turned his eyes to the beautifully decorated floors, took a deep breath and spoke.
"Well, Cabbie has always said that you need to pay a penny for someone's thoughts. I figure that works for most thoughts, but your thoughts are a bit more confusing than most people's so I thought I should probably try quarters instead." Drip finally allowed his eyes to Windlifter's.
"Hm." Windlifter settled heavier on his tires. "And is there a particular type of thought wish to listen to?"
"College." Drip allowed the word to hang in the air.
A smile started to spread across Windlifter's lips. "I do believe that I might be of some assistance on that front."
Then to Drip's confusion, Windlifter nudged the coins back towards him. "But…"
"Drip, for the knowledge you see a roll of quarters is too much or far too little, depending on how you look at it." The helicopter spoke with an air of sage advice. "You are lucky, that this is a subject that I have many thoughts on. But I am curious…what is causing you to reflect on this subject?"
"Well…" Drip fidgeted with his blade for a moment then he looked Windlifter dead in the eyes. "I love working at Piston Peaks, but I know as much as I love it, I can't work as a smokejumper forever. Eventually, I am going to have to find another career that I love just as much and I figured that going to college might be a good place to start.
"I deem that a worthy cause." Windlifter gave a slight bob of approval and all the tension that Drip was holding dissolved. "When the weather is inclement, I shall teach you how to navigate the minefield of college admissions."
Windlifter ended up spending the afternoon giving Drip a long-winded explanation about the importance of extracurricular activities, and the little vehicle left with a grin plastered across his face. What he didn't realize was that grin was all the payment that Windlifter needed to continue their long-winded discussions well into the future.
End Note: So I hope you enjoyed this little moment of Drip/Windlifter interaction. I will admit that it was a fun exchange to write. What are your prompt ideas for the letter R?
