Chapter 23
A death in the family
Roger was sitting up in bed engrossed in his new book, when he heard the soft rapping of knuckles on his bedroom door.
"Yes?" he replied and the door opened to reveal a nearly twelve year old Freya clad only in her night shirt and panties.
She had her cell phone in hand and her face bore all the signs of great distress.
Tears flowed freely from her bright blue eyes and she sniffled to control her runny nose.
Roger closed his book and got out of bed.
He said out of concern, "Freya honey? What's wrong?!"
She sobbed and managed to say, "Me granny's deid! She died thes e'enin', me mammy jist called me tae tell me."
Roger instinctively wrapped his arms around her and held her closely.
She wrapped her own arms around him and held him closely, as only a seven foot tall girl-child could do.
He felt her tears soaking his tee shirt and her body shaking as she wept freely.
Roger felt his own eyes tearing up as the news sunk in.
Induna Hagridsdottir has died and along with her passing, so did her knowledge of her people's lore pass with her.
Roger gently guided her to his bed and they lay down together in a tangle of long limbs as she cried herself to sleep.
The next morning while Freya still slept in his bed, Roger made a few calls to the local airport, he needed a float plane ASAP.
His own plane, or rather the museum's plane, a big Martin Mariner PBM was still months away from being airworthy and would not be ready in time.
After a few calls and connections, he had a float plane.
It was a refurbished Cessna 195 Businessliner with floats and retractable wheels for dry landings.
It would be a little cramped for the seven foot tall Freya, but under the circumstances, he'd make it work.
By early afternoon Freya had gotten up, taken a long shower, gotten dressed and was now sitting at the kitchen table moving her food around on the plate Roger had set before her. She had no appetite and merely toyed with her food rather than eating it.
He sat across from her and said quietly, "I've managed to get a float plane for tomorrow. We can have it for a week before we start getting charged out the wazoo."
Freya smiled weakly at him, her reddened eyes rimed with the salt crystals of dried tears.
He squeezed her hands in his and said, "I'm going to get a few things for the trip. While I'm gone you can pack up a bag for yourself and I'll be back this early evening...Okay?!" "Okay" she managed to say, her usual sunny, chatty self hidden by her loss.
Roger left the house and headed to the Food Warehouse nearest them.
There he picked up a half dozen brown sugar glazed hams, 50 Lbs of yams and 100 Lbs of Russet potatoes.
A stop at the Liquor Barn netted him 4 cases of Guinness Extra stout and a dozen extra bottle openers just in case there wasn't any at Freya's home.
Lastly, he stopped at a florists and picked up a suitable arrangement for Induna's funeral.
Returning home, he found Freya all packed up and ready to go.
Roger called the newspapers and the post office and asked them to hold all of their deliveries until further notice.
Freya, in the meantime had loaded their bags in the van and was sitting in it waiting for him to finish 'gabbin' tae strangers' as she would put it.
A quick look around at the appliances and the doors and windows checked later, Roger fired up the van and off they went to the small private airport where the Cessna 195 floatplane waited.
The owner of the metal bird was waiting by his pride and joy, smiling he handed over the keys and said, "She's got ten hours on a recent overhaul, so the motor is fresh and won't use a lot of oil with the new style rings we fitted.
"All the tanks are full so fuel won't be a problem going up, there is a couple of gallons of motor oil stashed under the pilots seat just in case she needs a topping off."
When Freya exited the van to help load up, the owner briefly gaped and declared in amazement, "I do believe you're the tallest girl I've ever seen. If you like, I can move the co pilot's seat back to make more leg room for you."
Freya smiled at him and said pleasantly, "That woods be verra nice ay ye, me thanks tae ye." While the owner relocated the seat for her, she helped Roger load everything onto the Cessna and tie it down securely.
After the final preflights were checked off Roger turned the key and soon the seven cylinder Jacobs engine was running at a fast idle.
He gave the owner a final thumb's up and resumed checking his instruments and maps, it would be dark soon and the bulk of the flight would be in darkness.
The compass and map would be a back up for the onboard GPS if it failed.
They taxied into position and waited their turn at the runway.
Afew minutes later they got the green light and with a roar they took off and were soon aloft and climbing to their cruising altitude and speed.
Freya sat quietly, dabbing at her eyes and occasionally sniffling.
She and her grandmother had been very close as she was her only granddaughter and Induna had tried to teach her how to read the ancient texts and speak the ancient tongue.
Roger sighed, it was going to be a long flight with his normally chatty companion so subdued.
Several hours later, Roger called the small airport at Bella Coola, Canada to let them know he would be arriving within the hour.
Freya who had sat quietly for most of the flight suddenly spoke up, "We're nae gang tae th' loch?"
He replied apologetically, "Sorry honey, but I don't feel like crashing this nice plane trying to land at night on a dark lake.
"Maybe if the moon was full I'd try it. We're landing at Bella Coola airport near Hagensborg."
"Ah" was her only comment and she lapsed into silence once more.
An hour later, Roger delicately touched down on the single runway at Bella Coola airport and gently braked the Cessna to taxiing speed.
He followed the ground guide's directions and parked the Cessna where directed.
They exited the plane taking only a single bag each, while the ground guide gaped at Freya's height, Roger locked the cabin doors and pocketed the keys.
The youthful ground guide asked, " Sir, d'you want it filled up?"
Roger grinned at him and replied, "Yes, please and could you check the oil in a little bit?" as he slipped the young man a crisp tenner.
He grinned back and said brightly "Yes, sir! A pleasure sir!"
Glancing around briefly, Roger asked, "How far to the nearest motel?"
The young man pointed across the two lane road running through town and said, "My folks have that one across the street, if that'll do?"
"Any port in the storm." Replied Roger with a grin as he took Freya's hand and they headed towards the glowing neon "Vacancy" sign above the office door.
Entering the small lobby with its faded decor and generic landscape painting gracing one wall.
Roger rang for service while Freya loomed over him, a pall of gloom hanging over her. Moments later, the door behind the counter opened and a mature bottle blonde with cigarette dangling from her well lipsticked mouth stepped behind the small counter.
She smiled at Roger and briefly gaped at Freya's seven foot tall frame.
Roger said politely, "We need a room for the night, anything'll do."
She took her eyes off of Freya and focused them on him, taking a drag on her cancer stick, she exhaled through her well powdered nose and replied, "We only have a single left, hon." Stealing another glance at Freya she commented, "I don't think the bed is long enough though."
Roger laid his credit card on the worn Formica counter and said quietly, "We'll make adjustments, we always do."
She smiled at him, slid his card through the reader and while waiting for the slip to print up said, "I'm sure you do, with her standing out the way she does. Me, I like being invisible." Roger signed the slip, took the keys and said cheerfully, "Well, I appreciate you, you saved us a night spent in an airplane cabin. That's gotta count for something!"
She grinned back, winked at him and said, "Glad I could help. By the way, the diner opens at six and the coffee is good!"
Roger chuckled and replied, "We'll be there...See you then!"
The room was little different than the lobby with equally faded furnishings and generic artwork hung on the wall.
Entertainment consisted of an ancient TV sitting on top of the dresser and a clock radio. Roger fumbled around with the radio to set the alarm for six A.M. and turned around to see Freya standing in the bathroom staring at the shower stall.
It clearly was not made with her in mind, the spray nozzle was mounted at about chest height on Roger, which meant that Freya's stomach and lower extremities would get nicely rinsed while the rest stayed dry.
She muttered glumly, "May as well tak' me shower a'squattin' loch Ah'm oan th' toilet!"
She shrugged and began undressing while Roger occupied himself with turning down the bedding and wondering how they were going to work their sleeping arrangements. Ordinarily they used double occupancy rooms with separate beds, tonight was the exception.
Roger caught a glimpse of Freya's bare bottom as she stepped into the barely adequate shower stall with a metal stool in hand, she sat on the stool and adjusted the water to her liking and began scrubbing.
Ten minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom with a towel barely covering her towering frame.
She stepped aside to let Roger enter the shower himself to wash the day's grime off his weary body.
When he emerged from the shower after toweling himself off, she was already under the inadequate covers and fast asleep, her long frame really taxed the bed's capacity and her feet stuck out from under the covers as usual.
He changed into fresh underwear and a tee shirt, his usual sleeping attire.
He lifted a corner of the blanket and slipped into the now, very cozy bed alongside his giant young companion, as he'd come to think of her now.
The insistent chiming of the alarm roused them from their slumber and they realized that they had snuggled together in their sleep, and were now facing each other very closely. Roger flushed slightly and disentangled himself from her long limbs to shut off the ear piercing racket from the clock radio.
Smacking his dried lips, he mumbled "G'morning." as he entered the bathroom to relieve himself and wash up a bit.
Minutes later, Freya came into the bathroom wearing only a tee shirt and panties, which she pulled down as she sat down on the toilet while he finished his morning ablutions, and left the small bathroom to his seven foot tall companion's devices.
Entering the small diner, the scent of fresh coffee welcomed them as their hostess from the night before greeted them with a cheery smile.
"Coffee?" She asked as Roger held up two fingers and they slipped into a booth with Freya sitting a bit sideways to accommodate her long legs.
Like the lobby and the room, the diner also had faded furnishings with a large landscape painting of a mountain lake hanging on the largest wall.
Placing two generous cups before them, she filled them while saying, "Hi hon, what'll you have?"
After a brief sip of his coffee Roger replied, "I'd just like a couple of scrambled eggs, some corned beef hash and some rye toast. Please."
She grinned at him, revealing a gold tooth he hadn't noticed before, turned and called out, "Two scrambled, hash and rye toast, please!"
The unseen cook replied, "Gotcha!"
She smiled at Freya who smiled back shyly and said, "Ah'll jist hae whit he ordered, but wi' some oatmeal oan th' side."
The woman grinned again and hollered, "Same as before, with oatmeal!" again, a resounding "Gotcha!" was heard from the unseen cook.
She smiled at them and held up a coffee pot as she said, "It'll be a few minutes...Freshen up your coffee?"
Freya held up her cup and smiled as the bottle blonde waitress with a bit too much makeup topped up her coffee with a smile.
A few minutes later, she returned with a couple of plates and a bowl all delicately balanced on a fleshy arm, their order had arrived.
Setting the dishes before them, she smiled as they thanked her and began tucking into their breakfasts.
After only a couple of bites, Roger said with a toothy grin, "This is really good! Your cook really knows his way around a kitchen."
She grinned at him and said, "My husband will appreciate your comments."
She turned and hollered once more, "Hey honey! They like your cookin'!"
The still unseen cook hollered back, "Glad you like it!"
She smiled wistfully and remarked as an aside, "When we're at home, I do all the cooking, can't even get him to boil water!"
Roger just laughed and replied, "Kinda like the auto mechanic with the beat up old car or the plumber with the leaky faucet...They do it all day long at work and don't even want to hear about it when they're at home."
The two of them were nearly done eating when the young man they'd met the night before came waltzing in and sat at the small counter.
After the waitress set a full coffee cup before him, he turned around and announced cheerfully, "Your bird is all fueled up, it took two quarts of oil and it's ready to fly!"
Roger smiled at him and said, "That's great, thanks! Now where do I pay up? I know this isn't a charity here."
He grinned at Roger and replied, "You can pay here if you like?"
The waitress topped off his coffee and asked, "You got time for a decent breakfast, son?" The young man smiled at her and said happily, "I do now!"
Roger chuckled and said, "We'll just tally it all up and pay it right here then."
As the woman tallied up the bill, Roger commented, "It's like a one stop operation here, food, fuel and a place to crash!"
She chuckled and laid the slip on the table before him saying, "This airport's been in the family for about fifty years now, we'll never be rich, but we're not askin' for handouts either."
After he signed the slip and she gave him his copy, she asked, "So, where're you folks headin'?"
Roger tucked the slip into his wallet and replied, "Ape Lake"
The woman broke into a big grin and exclaimed to Freya, "Then you must be one of them giants that live in th' forest around there!"
Freya flushed slightly as the woman smiled brightly at her and asked, "Would you mind if we took a picture of you with us, so's we can hang it on the wall?"
Freya smiled shyly at her and said, "Okay".
Moments later, a camera was thrust into Roger's hands as the family lined up against the diner wall with Freya standing in the middle, easily towering over all of them at seven feet tall.
After taking several photos just to make sure at least one of them was good, Roger handed the camera back to the husband and asked, "How long have you known about the giants?" The husband grinned and replied, "My grampa's seen a couple of 'em while out huntin' and my dad bumped into one once while out in th' woods. I thought I saw one once while campin' up at the lake fishin'."
Roger laughed and replied with a grin, " That sure sounds familiar! That's how Freya and I met, I was fishing at the lake that same way."