25 Hour Watch

Read Charlie Chapter 1

Read Charlie Chapter 2

Somewhere deep in the distance, a telephone rang and the trembling sound rattled Charlie out of a dream.  A blanketed body rolled over and exposed an arm, his fingers stretched and snapped a nightstand light, he picked up the source of the sudden-recurring volume, “Hello?”

“Mr. Morris, it’s five o’clock, this is your morning wake-up call,” a gentle voice eased Charlie back from sleep.

Still confused, Charlie was unable to fully open his eyes, so he gave another groggy “hello?” before slowly recalling the who,  the what,  the why…Charlie remembered the day and location, he squinted against a brash 75-watts the lamp shade did little to deflect, “Thank you.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Morris, and thank you for visiting,” the gentle voice clicked off and Charlie dropped the phone back into place atop the nightstand.

Peeling away layers of blankets and sheets, Charlie pivoted to the floor; he stood and stretched like a cub, reaching for the sky.

The bear stood with arthritic cracks from his knees and elbows, but he felt alright, and Charlie made-about for another day on his great adventure.

“Big Blue Ox.  Big Blue Ox!“  Charlie remembered his call-in-sick and the decision to drive north, to his overnight stop in Bemidji, Minnesota, half way to his Canadian destination.

He left the Inn behind and Charlie enjoyed a hot breakfast; eggs over-easy, toast and jam, coffee in a diner that was only three from empty, on an early Friday morning.

A lone waitress stood behind a six-stool bar, another patron sat in a booth behind Charlie; they both read newspapers and took quiet sips of coffee.

Charlie silently observed the peaceful pair and enjoyed another bite of toast, sipped another bit of coffee, then wiped his mouth while reaching for his wallet.

Feeling the positive effects of morning caffeine, he dropped a bill onto the bar, spun to find his feet, then Charlie thanked his waitress and stepped out into the mild morning.

Charlie looked around and pulled in a deep breath of Minnesota sky, smiling in the dark morning, he looked left, and then he looked right; the quiet town was still barely stirring at 5:15 a.m.

Another big breath, Charlie lifted a ring from his pocket, singled out his keys, and made a selection; Charlie opened the door and fired the ignition of his compact car.

“Best Cup of Coffee in Minnesota,” a diner window sign he’d missed on the way in made Charlie consider the possibility.

Figuring his breakfast brew would be his only Minnesota cup, he decided on agreement; good flavor, strong aroma, warmed, not burnt, Charlie felt alert, he pressed his foot against the tall-skinny pedal on the floor and reversed from a diagonal space in front of the cozy diner.

Charlie ‘s headlights straightened, his car steadily accelerated down the town’s main road.

Big Blue Ox, Big Blue ox! Charlie felt like a child; excitement welling up inside of him, he could hardly wait to see the statues of Paul and Babe!

Barely ten miles away, Charlie thought about the plan.

Without a camera on this trip, Charlie had to find another way to commemorate his visit to the folk-tale giants of lore.

His phone had died the night before, and disposable cameras apparently held the same commodity value as gold, so he gathered his remaining options.

It had to be something lasting, something meaningful and unique, Charlie decided to give Babe an autograph, a sharpie-signature somewhere on the blue.

Equipped with a marker and a plan of action, Charlie saw the lines bend right, and judging by the ‘X’ on his map, he was there.

He exited the paved road and slowly approached two dark figures that loomed a few-hundred feet in front of his Corolla.

Charlie slowed the car to drift and crunched the earth beneath four tires.

He gazed up through the windshield at two titans, as his headlights discovered six blue legs, two enormous black boots emerged.

Charlie’s Corolla rode slowly, somewhat cautiously, toward the dark figures; the blue legs and black boots had grown bodies, and there was an oblong blue head with horns.

Charlie wasn’t sure, but he felt pretty confident his Toyota spanned enough vertical feet to accommodate his plan.

He carefully chose a parking spot just below the eye of the horned-head and Charlie kept the headlights running.  He swiveled the driver’s door open, stood, and pocketed the marker.

The gravel made distinct chomps under his feet, and he walked to the back of the car.

Swinging his arms and twisting his trunk, he tried limber up in the early morning chill; Charlie finalized his plan.

Satisfied and loosened, Charlie stepped up the back-bumper of the car, which leaned back against his weight, he took another big step and raised himself fully onto the bumper of the car.

Using his fingers for balance, Charlie lifted another long, tall stride, and planted his foot onto the trunk of his car; taking position for another giant stride to the roof.

Pulling his weight past the rear-window, now standing dead-center on the roof, Charlie looked around the dark morning and prepared to jump.

He lowered his center of gravity, bent at the hips, bent at the knees, gave his elbows ninety-degrees, and Charlie looked upward to the Ox’s long-horn.

Lifting off, he launched himself from the top of the car; like a rocket man taking to the sky, the car gave just enough spring to help Charlie achieve his goal.

An arms-link-lasso around the ox’s cream colored horn, Charlie was a classic Stallone scene dangling above the car.

Hanging there, he pulled and huffed; Charlie struggled to perform a one-armed pull-up, grunting and trying not to fall, saving time for his other hand to gain a grip.

Charlie considered his lack of fitness, but the caffeine kicked in just in time; he grabbed the horn into a bear hug and pulled himself up.

Charlie finally overcame the giant ox and raised himself to a seat on top of Babe’s big head.

Taking in a few deep breaths, Charlie could smell the trees, he could feel the great lake moisture in the air; Charlie sat in style and looked out across the morning sky; the clouds began to evidence the morning midwest sun.

Read Charlie Chapter 2

Read Charlie Chapter 1