Bettie

Ginger had lived a great life fought his way through the war, seen amazing things with friends such as Biggles the Ace piolet, Bertie and George, and let me not forget Professer Chalenger and the lost world adventures. As Ginger sat watching the sun set in the horisan he wished those old friends were with him now….

10 years earlier

At 55 Ginger had been honerely retired from the army, given a Air-mans Watch and golden compass with the inscription “ MAY FEAR ALWAYS LAY BEHIND YOU AS YOUR FRIENDS STND BY YOUR SIDE’

At first he wasn’t sure what to do with himself, he’d taken on a small coffee house near a airfield, it was/is a good life steady/slow pace and always a late night when his old Pals popped into say high…exchanging stories with friends was great but the next day always dragged him back to reality, oh yes his life had definitely become safe/boring…..

It was on a Sunday morning that life would take a turn. I feel I should explane, that every Sunday Ginger would go over to the airfield and take his old By-plane out for a spin, up there he felt free felt young again…

On this particular Sunday Ginger had a spring in his step, he opened up the hanger and using the old tractor (Fergie) he took his plane to the runway, sat in the cockpit he said to himself , “clear skies and bright horisans” the engine purred to life after a single splutter, power increased, plane taxied and pull back on the stick and up up into the blue. Ginger had been flying for about an hour,totally in his eliment, a young piolet once again on a mission with the Great Biggles and their pals, suddenly it grew colder and the sky fell dark. A storm appeared to roll in from nowhere, great black clouds spitting strange blue/purple lightning, Ginger had been in storms before over land and sea all over the globe. Pulling on the stick and flying like never before he tried and managed to turn back towards the airfield then CRACK/FLASH, the clouds cleared as quickly as they’d appeared. Ginger was flying calm blue skies once more, but wait! This was right , yes there were blue skies with white puffs of cloud, why then was he strained in his seat? He was flying upside down!

After the realisation sank in he tried to right himself , nearly splashing into the crystal waters that gave a perfect reflection of the sky above. It took three attempts to upright himself he was successful , but too little to late as they say as he saw a cliff rise in front of him, pulling as hard as possible on the stick he was able to miss the rocky collision but the swerve was too much , he’d lost control. Moments later the engine sputed and died, the plane span cartwheeled and ,well it would be nice to say landed on the beach but crashed is the truth of it. Ginger had been thrown from the cockpit, he got to his feet feeling battered and bruised, what faced him where tall trees with red bark so dence , where was he? Ginger turned round and saw the mess that was his plane scattered across the beach “oh Bettie” they’d been together for so long for her to end like this. Ginger took a moment, then being a practical man he pulled two large bags from the plane (always be prepared , Biggles always used to say) he set up camp, a tent and made a fire for warmth and food. Ginger wondered over to a nearby rock, took a seat and watched the sun set……….

The end?