Having Fun with Dycke and Payne Ch. 12

Chad picked up his cell phone, called his office, and told his secretary to get him the number for Gulfstream Aviation. It took him nearly twenty minutes to be connected to Vice-President of Maintenance, Sandra Nicholson. Chad was surprised to be talking to a female aerospace engineer. They spoke for a short time, and they found out they had graduated from the same university. They had even taken courses, from the same professors. She had even heard him speak, and at a symposium, at the college. He told Sandra what he needed, and why he needed it done, quickly.

Her retort was, "Children."

His response was, "Wives!"

She laughed at his response.

The hook was baited, and the trap was about to be set.

58. The Second 100-Euro Aircraft

Dycke received a phone call, early Friday morning, from the Chief Engineer of Gulfstream Aviation. She introduced herself, and she needed to speak to him, on a matter of some importance. She said Turnquest Schneider, left specific instructions, in reference to the G5, that was now in retrofit. He informed her, that the interior of the aircraft, was to be disassembled. Dycke and his future bride, were to pick out, whatever they wanted for the interior. However, it was a lengthy process, and their presence and participation was needed. This aircraft could not be left in its current position, on the line, without hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties, per day, if it lay idle.

Dycke said, "Will Monday]; be soon enough, and do I have to be there?"

Ms. Nicholson said, "Mr. Schneider told us, you are going to be the registered owner, of the aircraft. Therefore, you have to sign for every change, and modification to it. No one else, but you, can certify the changes."

Dycke said, "Sugar! Okay, I was planning to leave the country, this afternoon. However, I will have to put that off, for a short time. How long do you think it will take to certify these changes?

She said the process normally takes between three and five days, to outfit the inside of a G5. We have many photos to choose from and all the fabrics, leather, and other items, are here, in our showroom.

Dycke said, "Payne and I will be there, by eleven o'clock, Monday morning."

"Thank you Mister Schneider, I will greet you, when you get here."

Dycke hung up the phone and called Payne. "Payne, I will not be leaving today."

Payne screamed in joy, "Really, you are staying with me."

"Yes, for a short time, anyhow. Monday, you and I are going to Georgia to see your new airplane. My uncle has ordered them to tear apart the inside and you are going to replace it, with anything your heart desires. You get to design the layout, the carpet, the bathroom fixtures, everything.

Payne said, "I do not care about any of that stuff. I just care that I will be with you, for all that time. How long do they think that will take me to do?"

"The lady said it could take three to four days, but if you do not rush, I believe you could stretch it to two weeks."

Payne said, "Then two weeks it will be. I will not hold you back, from what you feel you must do."

"Payne, you know I would stay with you, forever. Your mother has caused this problem, for us. The longer I stay, the more it will hurt me to leave, and the more it will hurt you, to see me go."

"Dycke, I know you are right. I just wish, I could figure a way out of this mess, so I could to be with you, and not hurt my mother."

"Have you given her the check back, yet?"

"No. I gave it to my father and had him open a different account. It requires two signatures. My mothers' and my signatures are required for her to take money out, just as dad opened the accounts for my brother and me. I always have to sign, but my mother has to ask me. I thought fair is fair. My father was hysterical."

There was a knock on Payne's door and Steve said, "Payne, we have to leave."

Payne yelled, "Thanks." She returned to her conversation with Dycke, "I have to leave for graduation exercises, I will see you there. I love you more than I can say."

Dycke kissed her over the phone, and hung up.

Dycke rode in one of the armored Humvees to the ceremony, because Fiona and Marti did not like large open aired gatherings. The graduates marched in, and they were seated. For forty-five minutes, a member of the school board congratulated the school board on its forward-looking vision, the principal, and the teachers on the high rate of graduation, from the school, and the low rate of dropouts. After he completely bored everyone to tears, he finally sat down to polite applause.

The principal stood at the podium and said, "I, also, have a lengthy speech, (which he showed the audience) but the board member had covered most of it. I will pare it down, to a few short remarks. I want to thank all my wonderful teachers and staff, without whom I could do nothing. I want to thank the students for striving, every day, to do their best work. I want to thank you, the parents, for backing up your student. Without your support, and encouragement, nothing else works, and days like today, do not happened. Thank you very much."

Those in attendance stood up, and cheered wildly.

He stood at the podium, and acknowledged the cheers, while attempting to calm the crowd. The School Board Member was not pleased.

The principal announced this year's valedictorian, "Payne Temple."

Payne stood up to the applause of those gathered, and took the principal, by his arm, back to the podium. She spoke into the microphone and said, "Before I begin my speech I have a presentation to make on behalf of Dycke Schneider, to whom I engaged to be married.

She began, "Shortly after my birth, my parents' car was involved in an accident. My face was severely deformed because of it. From that day, until late February of this year, I was called every foul, vile, insulting name, anyone in my grade school, middle school, or high school could conjure up. I was called 'The Ugliest Girl in School' for all those years. Most of you parents knew it, and did nothing to stop it. I am presenting a check, to Principal Garner, to be used, only in this school, as a pilot project, to teach young adults about bullying, verbal, or sexual abuse. The money from this endowment can be used to pay for teachers' salaries, obtain classroom space, and technical expertise, in the area of bullying, sexual, and verbal abuse, against any student. It can pay legal expenses to help send a case to trial, and convict any person charged, with these crimes against a student, who is abused in any manner: Sexually, Religiously, Color of his or her skin, Sexual Oriental, or Bullying in any form. If I forgot any form of abuse, which is covered by this grant, I apologize, because I left my cheat sheet at home. Principal Garner here is a check for Five Million Dollars."

The principal stood there, with his mouth open. The crowd applauded, raucously. Payne saw Dycke, pointed to him, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Dycke Schneider."

Bob said, "Do not raise your hand."

Payne yelled from the platform, "If you do not raise your hand, you are not getting any."

The crowd laughed, but it had the desired effect, on Dycke, who raised his hand.

The applause began again, and three agents surrounded Dycke, for his safety.

The principal made a short acceptance speech, and promised to use this money wisely, for the causes Payne and Dycke requested.

The gathering again stood up, and applauded, both the principal and Dycke.

Payne did not give the normal valedictory speech. She did not ask "Where we go from here." Are we are going to drift apart and no longer be friends. She did not talk about getting married, and settling down. Her speech was more like a Jeffersonian, or Kennedy speech: "A Call to Action." She talked about this country, and its future. She asked what we were going to prepare ourselves to do, for our country, and about the situation, in which it was being handed to us. She talked about how our previous generations had screwed it up. She talked about deficits, and increasing debts. She talked about carbon footprints and global warming. She spoke about our political system, about the Democratic, and Republican parties. How both parties were full of ideological agendas, which put the nation at risk. She talked about term limits, as the only means of getting rid of career politicians. She talked about an airport, which was built in a rural area of Pennsylvania, at the cost of nearly One billion dollars. It served only three aircraft per day. It was only there because a congressional representative was so powerful, he threatening not to let a budget bill, out of committee. She told the graduating class this was their future; politicians were playing with, and unless they were willing to get involved, while they were in college, and afterwards, the America we were taught about, will no longer exist. She said, "You are old enough to vote. Be prepared, when you go into the voting booth. Know the issues. Know the candidates. Know their positions on every issue, before you press the button. Do they support Gun Control Legislation or are they strident believers in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Are they pro-life or pro-choice? Do they believe that the earth is flat or round?" She said to the audience, "Do not laugh; some of the candidates are total morons. Do not just listen to them on television. Read everything you can get your hands on: newspapers, the Internet, magazines, and handouts. Do not go into the voting booth blind and dumb, or we wind up with another idiot in the White House for four, to eight years, the Senate for six years, or much, much longer, or Congress for two years, or life. Every person running for office has an agenda. Their primary goal is to be re-elected, and they will do anything they can, legally or otherwise, to do it. Their secondary goal is to curry favor with their party's leadership, so they can garner favors and funds for their next campaign for Congress. The third one is to serve their constituents, if they can figure out, what it was that got them elected, in the first place. If they have promised anything, during the election, and you think you want to push that issue, volunteer and hold the representative's feet to the fire on that issue, until you are told to get lost, or something gets done." "One day," she said, "if you or I run for office, we will have an agenda. Let it be an agenda that will be good for the people of this community, for the people of this country, for the people of this planet, and most of all, for the planet itself."

There was a loud, standing ovation for Payne, that lasted several moments, but she did not leave the podium.

"Finally, mom, dad, I made a promise to myself, that I would say this, at the end of my speech. Please do not be too angry, with me. To all of you, who called me all those vile names, for the past twelve years, this is how I should have looked, all my life. Only one man saw me this way, before my operations, and that man was Dycke Schneider. He loved me, from the moment, he saw me, and he never asked for anything, but my love, in return. He never knew what the outcome of my operations would be, and he did not care. He loved me, for who I was, not for what I would look like. Dycke, I will love you forever. To the rest of you, I have one thing to say, "Go fuck yourselves!"

Steve jumped to his feet, and yelled, "Go Payne, go!

Dycke applauded. He was grinning, from ear to ear.

Payne's teachers stood, and applauded. Principal Garner was applauding, but more politely.

Payne was supposed to stay, on the stage, but she decided, she wanted to be, with her parents. Gabby took her hand, and like a linebacker, she broke through the crowd, to where the Temples', and Schneider's' sat.

Alletta took Payne in her arms, and said, "You did not read me the last part, of your speech, missy."

"I saved it as a surprise, mom."

Piker said to her, "I thought it was avery fitting ending, to twelve years of abuse."

Alletta said, "Why do you always take her side."

"First of all, she has more money, than you do. Second, she said, if I ever needed a loan, she would give it to me, interest free. You never made me that offer."

Alletta looked at Payne and said, "You are not giving me my money back?"

Payne looked at her and said, "Mom, you had me make a choice: Stay with you, or go away, with the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I am staying with you. I am going to have a broken heart, forever. Dycke is going to stay for two more weeks, because we have to go to Georgia, to outfit, another airplane. After that, I will never know, when or if, I will see him, again. As far as getting married, I think you ended that, for me. You said you needed more time. As soon as you said that, both of us knew your answer was 'no.' Money is a small price to pay, for what I have had to give up, for a lifetime. I may never marry. I may never have children. I may never know happiness, and all you are worried about, is my money."

"Yes, however, it is my money!"

"No, mother, it is my money. It is in my bank account. I have to pay taxes on it. You and dad no longer have to worry about it."

"Piker, please speak to our daughter. Tell her how much that money means, to me."

"Allie, you wrote the check. I asked you not to write it. I told you there were other ways to ask Payne to change her mind. You did not listen to me, then. I am not going to get into the middle, of another argument, between a mother, and her daughter, now. I helped her set up the account, with the best possible tax advantages. She has her signature on it, a beneficiary, and a cosigner."

Alletta snarled at her husband and said, "Naturally, you are the cosigner."

Piker smiled and said, "No, I am the beneficiary."

"Then who is the cosigner, not Steve?"

"No dear, definitely not Steve."

"Then who is the cosigner?"

"Alletta, one day, you will read some of the papers I put in front of you. Then you will see what is going on, in the world around you. For such a smart woman, you are far too trusting."

"I am the cosigner? I can get my money, any time I want?"

Payne smiled and said, "Mom, there is just one tiny catch. I have to sign the check, also."

Alletta screamed at her husband, "You did not do that to me. You opened an account, just as you did, with the kids. However, Payne has to sign every check."

"Alletta, calm down, it was not my idea. Payne came to me, and asked me to do it. She is my daughter. I felt honor bound to follow her wishes."

Alletta said, "You had better wear a steel jockstrap to bed, from now on, mister. Otherwise, your balls are going to be hanging from the ceiling, in the morning."

Payne said, "Is this proper talk, for my graduation? People are looking at us, like we are crazy."

Alletta looked at Payne and said, "Give me my money back, and I will act normally."

Payne said, "Give me your blessing, to go away with Dycke, and you can have every penny, plus interest.

Alletta's mouth could not open. She tried to open it, but it would not open. Even though she knew, everything was in the planning stages; it was still two months away. She had her daughter, for those two months.

Payne said, "That is what I thought. You will see your money, when hell freezes over." Payne got up and went to where the students were seated. She was livid.

Alletta was an inconsolable.

Piker took her, into his arms, and said, "You could have said to her, 'stay until August', and then you will have my blessing?"

Alletta looked at her husband and said to him, "It felt like I had cement in my throat. I could not breathe. I could not speak. If you can get her to come back, I will tell her."

Alletta asked Bacillica to call Dycke, and have him join them, which he only did, because his arm was behind his back, and pressure was being applied upward.

Gabby had to use a little persuasion of her own, to get Payne back to her mother.

Alletta said, "I know the two of you have every right to hate me. I am a very protective and possessive mother. I love my daughter more than my own life. Payne, what I asked you to give up, is too much. Even I do not have the right to dictate, where your life should go, from this point forward. I have spoken, with your father, and we have agreed that if you will stay with us, until the end of August, you, and Dycke have our blessing, to go anywhere you wish to go, for however long, you want to go there."

Payne leaped into her mother's arms, crying.

Dycke was shocked, at the turn of events, and looked at Piker, who nodded his head, and said, "Yes, it is true."

After Alletta and Payne stopped crying enough to have actual words coming out of their mouth, Alletta said, "There is one, small, catch."

Payne said, "No, I will not play your games."

Dycke's said, "I am leaving."

Dycke was blocked by Bob, Milton, Fiona, and Marti.

Marti said to him, "You were going to listen, I believe?"

Dycke's said, "I do not like this already."

He turned to see both fathers' standing side-by-side. He looked at his father and said, "ET tu paterum"

Chad laughed, at his son, and said, "Your Latin will not get you out of this one son. I have been informed, by this man, that you have defiled his daughter, and he demands justice."

Dycke looked at both men and said, "What are you talking about? Both families have known about Payne and I sleeping together, for months, and we have even had your approval."

Chad said, "Mister and Mrs. Temple plead amnesia, to all incidents, from February to last evening, when they were informed, by their daughter, of your lustful acts, upon her body. They now inform me that you have three options, 1. As a man of the South, Mister Temple requests pistols, at twenty paces, tomorrow at dawn. 2. Relinquish all your possessions to his daughter, which as your lawyer, he advises me you cannot do, because of stipulations in the Schneider Will. 3. On, Saturday, the twenty-seventh of August, you are to meet the aggrieved family, at 3 PM, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, and, with Father Vincent D'Onofrio presiding: you will marry their daughter, Payne Elizabeth Temple, for the rest of your natural life. Which of these options do you choose?"

Dycke's mind did not fail him, this time. He, immediately, said to his father, "I choose door number three."

His dad said to him, "Good choice son, excellent choice."

Payne on the other hand, was having a little bit of trouble. She looked at her mother and said, "You could have told me this, a few moments ago, and I would not have gotten angry, with you."

"I tried to tell you, I really did. It felt like I had cement in my throat. No words came out. I am so sorry, Payne, I never meant to hurt you."

Payne said, "Dad, can I have the envelope, please."

Piker reached into his pocket, and handed Payne the envelope, which she in turn, handed her mother.

Alletta opened it and found a blank check, with Payne's signature on it. The note attached to the check said, "I love you, mom."

Alletta cried when she looked at the check. She said, "I am such a fool." She tore the check up and said to Payne, "I do not need the money. I have you."

Piker grasped his heart and feigned falling down, to the ground. He said to Chad and Bacillica, "I never thought I would see the day my wife would say, 'she did not need money.'"

Alletta hit him, and said, "I did not say I did not need your money. I said I did not need money from my daughter."

Piker stood up and said, "I feel better already."

Payne walked over to Dycke and asked, "Do you still want to marry me?"

Dycke said, "Do I want to continue breathing?"

"You have not answered my question."

"Payne Elizabeth Temple, will you marry me, please. If you say anything, but yes, I am getting the paddles."