(March 29, 2011)
(This is where it starts getting pretty good.)
The whole flight in, I was worried. Worried that Scar's parents wouldn't like me. Worried that they wouldn't let her live with me. Worried that they would make her stop seeing me.
I glanced over at my passengers, Kate and Jon. Kate was looking out the window at the ground three thousand feet below the chopper and Jon was watching the instruments.
I grinned over at him, trying not to 显示 my anxiety, and toggled a switch. The rhythmic strains of AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" echoed from speakers in the bulkheads. Jon smiled.
Jasper International Airport appeared on the horizon.
"Guys, we've got Jasper International dead ahead at ten miles," I called out.
Kate looked back at me and Jon nodded once.
"Jasper ATC, this is Mike Delta Three Four Three, requesting permission to pass the strip and head into Jasper National Park," I 说 over the air-to-ground frequency.
"Mike Delta Three Four Three, cleared to land in Jasper National Park at own discretion. 报道 taking off."
I acknowledged the instructions and signed off with Jasper Air Traffic Control.
"We got clearance," I 说 to Jon.
"Let's get in there then before they think twice about us," he advised.
I took his 建议 to 心 and accelerated the MD500 light helicopter up to its max speed of 125 knots.
Four and a half 分钟 later, we crossed the 跑道 of Jasper International.
5 分钟 after that, I could see where we were going. I pulled back on the stick and the collective to bring us into a steady hover. The MD500 drifted a little from the wind. I looked out my window and saw Scar run out of her den. She looked up at the helicopter and waved.
I waved back and slid the helicopter 50 yards to the left. The downwash of the rotor blades threw the 树 limbs into a frenzy. I touched us down gently, powered the engine down, and went through the postflight checklist. "You guys just stay here for a minute, okay?" I asked Jon and Kate. They agreed.
Scar came running over as soon as the blades stopped spinning. She jumped into my arms and I held her there.
"Hey, babe," I 说 happily.
"Colby, 你 need to be careful right now," she warned.
"Why, what's wrong?" I asked.
Her 毛皮 bristled as she told me. "My dad's really pissed. My brother did something stupid."
"What did he do?"
"Well, it wasn't Garth, but 你 know Olliver and what he and Katie get up to," she said.
I gasped with surprise. "Garth is your brother? That means-"
I cut my sentence off as Tony, Scar's father and leader of the pack stepped out of his den. I swallowed nervously and put Scar down in a hurry.
"Colby?" Tony asked in that deep voice of his. I nodded.
"I'm Scar's father, Tony," he said, introducing himself and proffering a paw.
"Nice to meet 你 sir," I said, shaking his paw. "I've heard good things about you."
Tony looked curious at that. "Really? What has she said?"
I scrambled to think of something.
"She 说 that 你 manage to keep Garth in line," I improvised.
Tony laughed. "If only that were true. Please, come in."
As I followed him in, Scar and I glanced at each other.
"Colby, this is Scar's mother, Ela," Tony said.
Ela was a pretty golden-furred 狼 of average stature. She raised her paw and I kissed it.
"Very nice to meet you, madam," I said.
"Likewise," she responded.
"Now, down to business," Tony 说 brusquely. "Scar tells us that 你 asked her to 移动 in with you. That, I have no objection to. But the part that frazzles me is that 你 didn't ask us before 你 started courting her. We as 狼 have very defined traditions about this sort of thing. I have overlooked that transgression because of her feelings for you. We want what's best for her."
I cleared my throat.
"First, my apologies for not following tradition. I did not know of that, and for that I cry your pardon. Scar's happiness is very important to me as well. She means the world to me and I appreciate that 你 are giving me this chance," I 说 graciously.
"That said, however, we want 你 to know that if anything happens to our daughter, anything at all, and we don't hear it from 你 first, let's just say that I shall be very displeased."
I swallowed, trying not to think of what form his displeasure would take.
Tony laughed. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I will be unhappy though, if 你 hurt Scar."
"I understand, sir."
"Do I smell Kate?" asked Ela.
I looked at her. "Yeah, she's still in the helicopter with Jon."
"I thought I did," she remarked.
"Now 你 two get out of here," 说 Tony.
I smiled and shook his paw again. "It was an honor sir," I said. We left the 巢穴, den, 书房 and I waved to the chopper. Kate and Jon came over
"Time to party!" Kate said.
(This is where it starts getting pretty good.)
The whole flight in, I was worried. Worried that Scar's parents wouldn't like me. Worried that they wouldn't let her live with me. Worried that they would make her stop seeing me.
I glanced over at my passengers, Kate and Jon. Kate was looking out the window at the ground three thousand feet below the chopper and Jon was watching the instruments.
I grinned over at him, trying not to 显示 my anxiety, and toggled a switch. The rhythmic strains of AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" echoed from speakers in the bulkheads. Jon smiled.
Jasper International Airport appeared on the horizon.
"Guys, we've got Jasper International dead ahead at ten miles," I called out.
Kate looked back at me and Jon nodded once.
"Jasper ATC, this is Mike Delta Three Four Three, requesting permission to pass the strip and head into Jasper National Park," I 说 over the air-to-ground frequency.
"Mike Delta Three Four Three, cleared to land in Jasper National Park at own discretion. 报道 taking off."
I acknowledged the instructions and signed off with Jasper Air Traffic Control.
"We got clearance," I 说 to Jon.
"Let's get in there then before they think twice about us," he advised.
I took his 建议 to 心 and accelerated the MD500 light helicopter up to its max speed of 125 knots.
Four and a half 分钟 later, we crossed the 跑道 of Jasper International.
5 分钟 after that, I could see where we were going. I pulled back on the stick and the collective to bring us into a steady hover. The MD500 drifted a little from the wind. I looked out my window and saw Scar run out of her den. She looked up at the helicopter and waved.
I waved back and slid the helicopter 50 yards to the left. The downwash of the rotor blades threw the 树 limbs into a frenzy. I touched us down gently, powered the engine down, and went through the postflight checklist. "You guys just stay here for a minute, okay?" I asked Jon and Kate. They agreed.
Scar came running over as soon as the blades stopped spinning. She jumped into my arms and I held her there.
"Hey, babe," I 说 happily.
"Colby, 你 need to be careful right now," she warned.
"Why, what's wrong?" I asked.
Her 毛皮 bristled as she told me. "My dad's really pissed. My brother did something stupid."
"What did he do?"
"Well, it wasn't Garth, but 你 know Olliver and what he and Katie get up to," she said.
I gasped with surprise. "Garth is your brother? That means-"
I cut my sentence off as Tony, Scar's father and leader of the pack stepped out of his den. I swallowed nervously and put Scar down in a hurry.
"Colby?" Tony asked in that deep voice of his. I nodded.
"I'm Scar's father, Tony," he said, introducing himself and proffering a paw.
"Nice to meet 你 sir," I said, shaking his paw. "I've heard good things about you."
Tony looked curious at that. "Really? What has she said?"
I scrambled to think of something.
"She 说 that 你 manage to keep Garth in line," I improvised.
Tony laughed. "If only that were true. Please, come in."
As I followed him in, Scar and I glanced at each other.
"Colby, this is Scar's mother, Ela," Tony said.
Ela was a pretty golden-furred 狼 of average stature. She raised her paw and I kissed it.
"Very nice to meet you, madam," I said.
"Likewise," she responded.
"Now, down to business," Tony 说 brusquely. "Scar tells us that 你 asked her to 移动 in with you. That, I have no objection to. But the part that frazzles me is that 你 didn't ask us before 你 started courting her. We as 狼 have very defined traditions about this sort of thing. I have overlooked that transgression because of her feelings for you. We want what's best for her."
I cleared my throat.
"First, my apologies for not following tradition. I did not know of that, and for that I cry your pardon. Scar's happiness is very important to me as well. She means the world to me and I appreciate that 你 are giving me this chance," I 说 graciously.
"That said, however, we want 你 to know that if anything happens to our daughter, anything at all, and we don't hear it from 你 first, let's just say that I shall be very displeased."
I swallowed, trying not to think of what form his displeasure would take.
Tony laughed. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I will be unhappy though, if 你 hurt Scar."
"I understand, sir."
"Do I smell Kate?" asked Ela.
I looked at her. "Yeah, she's still in the helicopter with Jon."
"I thought I did," she remarked.
"Now 你 two get out of here," 说 Tony.
I smiled and shook his paw again. "It was an honor sir," I said. We left the 巢穴, den, 书房 and I waved to the chopper. Kate and Jon came over
"Time to party!" Kate said.
