Shera's Diary
Chapter 11
Temper
By Kristen Gupton-Williams
Dear Diary,
Things here have settled into a routine. A wonderful, regular routine.
The captain flies on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. He also flies on every third Saturday. He takes every fourth week off completely. The days that he doesn't fly, he devotes to maintenance on his plane. I keep him well fed, and he seems content for the most part.
I still sense, though, that deep down, he's lonely.
I've been able to appreciate after living here for a time, that people don't come to him on a social basis. No, the only time the phone rings after business hours, or a knock comes to the door, is when someone needs something.
It's usually nothing big. Advice on fixing an engine, fishing for news on the rocket that stands close to the house, leaning ever further.
At the end of the day, the man has no friends. Long ago, I realized this in a way, with how he's just thought of differently than other people. Although he will never admit it, I can see that loneliness in his eyes.
He was right all those months ago when he told me I was the only one who treated him like a friend.
I still do, and in those occasional moments when he drops his guard and really speaks to me, I can see that I'm the only one he ever treats that way at all.
Although he clearly still resents the events of the aborted launch, and makes a habit of letting me know it, down deep, there really is some sort of bond between us. I know it's not just all one way.
My cooking is getting better, I think. I've picked up a few cookbooks with the money I'm earning and I've started trying new things. It's a lot like the chemistry courses I took back in college, in a way. Honestly? I rather enjoy it.
The captain has put on a little bit of weight, but he's still gorgeous. I think I need to lighten up the deserts just a little.
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Dear Diary,
What a day.
Being Wednesday, it was bank run day, when the captain goes and puts the week's take into the business account. Generally, he heads out alone, but today he actually took the initiative to ask me if I wished to go.
Of course, I jumped at the opportunity.
Since he carries a significant amount of cash on bank day, he drives his truck the short distance to the bank rather than walking as he normally would. Hence, we got into the pickup and he drove us there.
That, in itself, was unremarkable. The captain drives in his own style. Stop signs seem to be merely a suggestion to him, and he is quite verbal regarding his opinions on other drivers' habits. Nonetheless, we survived the trip there.
Into the bank we went. Captain Highwind made the deposit and then handed me my percentage of the earnings. Business has been very good and what I was given today was more than I had ever gotten from him.
I am so grateful for it. I've managed to save up quite a bit already.
That done, we walked the short distance to the town square, leaving the truck in the bank's parking lot. It was midday, so it was quite crowded, but the captain wanted to have a look in the electronics store there, so we walked.
Then, all Hell broke loose.
"Hey!" we heard someone shout at us.
We both turned to see Stephenson and Gregory together, standing out in front of the bar, clearly intoxicated.
Captain Highwind turned back around and started walking, grabbing my arm and pulling me along with him. "Let's keep goin'."
"I said hey!" Stephenson called out again.
The captain walked a little faster, keeping his grip on my arm, determined for us to avoid a conflict.
"You stop right there, you fuckin' inbred, backwoods retard!"
Captain Highwind stopped instantly, his entire body tensing up and his jaw setting firmly. He didn't turn back to face them right away, but I looked and saw his eyes narrow and his lips draw back slightly.
This was not something I'd seen from him, ever. I grew concerned, since I knew that Stephenson and Gregory were now walking through the crowd toward us. "Captain?"
In a low growl, that only I could have heard, he spoke. "Shera… head back to the truck."
I was mortified. "I'm not going to leave you here! Captain! There's two of them! Please…"
His hand dropped away from my arm. "That's an order, Goddamnit."
My heart pounding in my ears, I took a few steps away, but I wasn't willing to head blindly back to the truck without him.
"You look at me when I'm talkin' to you!" Stephenson said, now just a short distance behind the captain. "Me and Gregory were wondering why you've made that bitch your live in whore?"
Captain Highwind snorted and then turned around slowly to face the two, considerably larger, men. "The fuck you say to me, boy?"
"You heard me…" Stephenson leered at him, "is she a good enough fuck to make you forget what she did to you and your dreams?"
Even from where I stood, I could see the captain's left hand clench into a fist and one of his eyes twitch. "I think you best walk away right now, Stephenson…"
"Or what? I've never seen you fight anyone." Gregory chimed in, standing somewhat behind his cohort. "You've gotten away with a lot because you're some fucking big time celebrity, but that doesn't mean shit to us!"
"Oh really?" Captain Highwind said back simply, one of his eyebrows quirking. "You don't think I can hold my own against two drunk fucks like y'all?"
Stephenson stepped right up to the captain and glowered down at him, their six-inch height difference painfully obvious. He then made the biggest mistake of his life. "What do you think you're gonna do about it, little man?"
There was instantly a dense crowd of onlookers as everyone awaited the inevitable fight.
Something that almost resembled an actual smile crossed the captain's lips at that moment. He drew back his left arm and then let fly with an uppercut right into Stephenson's chin, sending him reeling back and crashing to the ground.
At that point, Gregory charged forward blindly, swinging madly at the captain. He never lost his cool, however, and was able to catch Gregory's fist within his right hand, then twisting his attacker's arm back behind his body.
I will never forget the sound that was made as Gregory's shoulder was snapped from the socket. Needless to say, Gregory fell to the ground at that point, writhing in pain.
Stephenson had managed back to his feet and charged the captain again. He swung out and managed to connect with the left side of Captain Highwind's face.
I yelped when he was struck, but the captain didn't waver in the least, leaving Stephenson a little confused.
That gave the captain the chance to pull back with his left arm once again, then clocking Stephenson between his right ear and jaw.
What they say about the big ones falling hard is entirely true, and Stephenson's unconscious body hit the sidewalk with a resounding thud.
Captain Highwind stood there, breathing hard, glaring down at his two fallen antagonists for several moments, apparently wanting to make sure that they stayed down. Getting himself back in check, he wiped the thin trail of blood that had appeared at the corner of his mouth away, before scanning the crowd that now stood in deathly silence around him.
Something in Captain Highwind had snapped. "All right you fucks, you listen up and y'all listen good…"
You could have cut the tension of the crowd with a knife. They knew that their collective numbers were up.
"Shera… c'mere…" he hissed out, knowing that I'd never actually left.
The crowd parted instantly before me and I went to the captain's side.
"If one more person in this fuckin' town, so much as looks at this woman the wrong way, I'll fuckin' kill ya! I've had it! Out of everyone here, I lost the most! You don't see me threatenin' her… and I won't, I utterly will NOT tolerate ANY of y'all doin' it, either! From now on, shit in this town is gonna change. Most y'all that are here moved here for the project. I've lived here my whole life. This is MY fuckin' town! From now on? I'm in charge. If anyone's gotta problem with that, we can go at it right here and now, because I've had enough. Any of you fuckers disagree?"
I stood there next to him, shaking in my anxiety, dreading the sound of any protests, but none came.
Not a one.
Captain Highwind scanned the crowd, taking inventory of everyone present. "Go back to your miserable fuckin' lives and the next time you see this woman here, you tip your fuckin' hat and wish her a lovely mother fuckin' day."
I could honestly see a few of the people present nod at his words.
Captain Highwind turned to me for a moment. "I think I've made myself clear. We're goin' home."
He started to march toward the truck, the crowd dispersing in his path. I followed him closely, seeing that those around had their eyes averted to the ground.
With that one speech, he'd made an entire town feel ashamed.
We rode home in silence and once back at the house, I immediately got him a cup of tea and a few of the brownies that I'd made this morning.
I sat across from him and smiled. I had never seen someone stand up to others like that in all my life.
…and it had been on my behalf.
He seemed to sense what was on my mind, and in a quiet voice, he made a simple statement. "I only did it because it had to be done, that's all."
I simply changed the subject and asked him what he would like for dinner.
He has requested lasagna.