“No...no, you're fine. I...” Noel bit down on her lip. “How do I find a charter plane to get to North Winds?” she asked.
“Oh, that's easy. Only Fred Grapes flies into North Winds. Fred flies in all the hunters and anyone else who wants to visit before the hard snows arrive. I was going to give you Fred's phone number. But I have to warn you...Fred is a rough pilot, so don't let him spook you.”
“Rough pilot?” Noel gulped.
“Fred was a pilot during Vietnam. He's...oh, seventy-three now...and can't see worth a flip. But he can still fly and, it's like I said, Fred is the only one who flies into North Winds because we're so far up. It's either Fred or no one,” December told Noel and then winced some. “Still want to come?”
“Uh...yes, of course. I...my granny asked me to do her a favor...” Noel continued to bite down on her lower lip. The lady on the other end of the phone sounded very friendly and welcoming instead of harsh and rugged. Noel felt that the lady would help her get to North Winds. “I have to call the airport and get a flight to Alaska.”
“Oh sure...I worked as a travel agent before moving to North Winds,” December explained. “I can help you if you want.” December was hurting for business. The lodge she had bought was struggling to attract business. Why? Because most of the hunters who used to visit the lodge had died off and all the leftovers were just not interested in roughing it anymore. Most hunters preferred to stray farther south and hold up in fancy lodges and hunt on well-traveled trails that a two-year-old could walk blind.
“Well...yes, that would be nice. If you could arrange for me to leave out of North Carolina and arrive in North Winds by next Tuesday that would be great.”
“Will do.” December beamed.
“Uh...how long did my granny make my reservation for, anyway?” Noel dared to ask.
“Until the New Year.” December smiled. “You'll be spending a few weeks in Alaska...but I must warn you, the hard snows are intense in January. You might be staying longer than you want if Fred can't fly in to get you out. But that'll be just fine with me. I love having company.”
“Yes.” Noel could tell that December was hoping and praying she wouldn't cancel her reservation. “Well, I'll stay as long as God wants…weeks...days...months...even years, if needed. I...have a personal reason for wanting to visit North Winds and I'll be in no rush to leave.”No. I'll be in no rush to leave North Winds. I intend to find out as much about my family as I possibly can.
Chapter 3
Fred Grapes kicked the wheel of the rustic bush plane that he called hisBearhawk. It was an old Barrows 4-Place bush plane. “Yeah, this old girl and I have flown many trips into the great wild.”
Noel was too cold to really pay attention to Fred. Overhead, a dark sky with heavy snow threatened to attack at any second. Noel was used to snow and cold—but goodness, the cold in Alaska was far different than the cold in North Carolina. The cold Noel was feeling was harsh, cruel, angry...hungry. Nothing but a sea of frozen trees surrounded the small airstrip the plane was parked on. A rusted hanger was sitting off in the distance.As if the flight to Anchorage wasn't bad enough...now I have to fly in this fish can.
Fred looked over at Noel. Noel was a mighty pretty woman who had sense enough to dress warm instead of fashionable. Noel was decked out in a heavy, warm, coat that covered a long, tan dress designed to keep a woman warm. A pair of heavy boots covered Noel's feet and a gray and white muffler hat sat on the woman's head. Whoever Noel was, she wasn't in Alaska to dress to impress—and Fred liked that. “You're from North Carolina, right?” he asked, as he walked around to the passenger side of the plane and kicked another tire with a hard boot.
“The mountainous area of the state.” Noel nodded, keeping her eyes on the sky. “Is it safe to fly today?”
Fred glanced up at the sky. He was an old man who had lost his wife twenty years back to cancer. Flying was his passion and Alaska was his life. “Oh, sure. That little burp up there in the sky ain't gonna do much until the hard winds arrive.”
Noel lowered her eyes and studied Fred. Fred was wearing a coat over a pair of winter overalls. His gray head was covered with a worn down, gray muffler hat that was staying together by a few threads.He looks like a rugged old-timer that couldn't find his way around an empty room. But Granny always taught me to never judge a book by its cover. December assured me Fred is one of the most experienced bush pilots in the state.“Okay, if you say so.”
Fred laughed a little. “You hate flying, huh?” he asked as his eyes worked on other parts of his plane.
“Yes.” Noel nodded her head, offering a direct answer. “I flew from Charlotte to Denver. From Denver to Seattle. From Seattle to Anchorage. From Anchorage to Fairbanks...and that's where you picked me up.”
“Well,” Fred said in an easy voice, walking around his plane, “I usually don't drive that far south. My younger brother lives in Fairbanks and I didn't think it would hurt anything to pay him a visit. Picking you up gave me an excuse to drive down to Fairbanks. But I tell you, it's sure been a long drive down to Fairbanks and back. I'm glad to be back home in Snow Fields.”
“Yes, it was a very long drive. Two days...” Noel let out a heavy sigh. “I was supposed to have checked in to the lodge yesterday.”
“Well, one day delay won't make or break you.” Fred kept up a friendly smile. Noel was a nice enough gal who just seemed to have a lot on her mind. “Well, the old girl looks good. We can get into the air without any worries. All the pre-flight checks are done.”
“Okay.” Noel drew in a deep breath of icy air and looked around. There wasn't a soul in sight.Fred put my luggage on the plane. There's no reason to just stand here in the cold and delay the inevitable. If God wants me to reach North Winds in one piece, I will.
Fred walked back to the passenger side of the plane and yanked open a rusted, creaky door. “In you go.” He smiled. “Buckle up once you get in your seat.”
Noel nearly tiptoed to the open door and peered into the plane. She spotted two front seats that looked older than Fred and two back seats that had a whole lot of duct tape on them. Noel's luggage was sitting on the back seats. “Uh...” Noel's worried eyes went to a bunch of complicated instrument panels. The panels looked greasy and old. The inside of the plane smelled of grease and cigar smoke. “Well...here we go.”
Fred nodded his head and helped Noel up into her seat. “Buckle up real tight,” he ordered. Noel found a greasy seat belt handle and did as he ordered. Fred checked to make sure Noel's seat belt was secure and then slammed the passenger side door closed.
“Oh boy, this is going to be interesting.” Usually, Noel was as tough as nails, but at that moment she was scared stiff. “I hate flying.”
Fred crawled up into the pilot’s seat and buckled himself in. “Relax.” He laughed, pulling a half-smoked cigar out of his right coat pocket. “We're flying a straight northwest line to North Winds…take us about two hours...two hours and twenty minutes, depending on how much wind we encounter.” Fred shoved the cigar he was holding into his mouth. “I could fly to North Winds in my sleep.”
“I...well...maybe you can,” Noel fussed some, “but this tin can doesn't make me feel safe.”
