Clipper milled about the barn, while Rodney tacked up a piece of cardboard.
He had brought markers from his art set to the barn to create the flow chart.
Brian and Travis were going to be there soon, he had to have a good plan.
He wrote M E F S B D at the top. then anticipated the questions it would generate.
Brian yelled first sayin "comin in", then Travis just a stones throw behind said
"Hot rod you woosy, I'm here." They had rode the mile together and raced the length
of the drive. They settled into the old couch in the grain bin.
Rodney controlled the room from the start with " what does this mean to you?"
Rodney pointed with a cherry switch like a drill sargeant.
Travis said "my extra farts silent but deadly"! "No", Rodney retorted.
It is our new saying, "Minimal Effort For Soda Bottle Donation."
I want you to pledge that by next Saturday you will get 2 more guys.
Then get 2 customers to pledge their bottles to the gang.
Then tell the guys that they can get a new bike if they get 2 more customers a week.
Get it? Travis said " I got to go to church tomorrow", " Perfect" Rodney said " have your pastor
tell your congregation that we are raising money for orphans. Brian said "we'll burn in Hell man,
you can't say that." "You will say that and more if you want a new bike." Rodney commanded.
"You got what I'm sayin", "this is a business". "Okay, Hotrod but what if our guys fall thru?"
"Then you take up the slack and your chores don't get done. We have to make a weekly chart to
take care of the lead guys chores and get as many bottles per week as we can."
Rodney was sure as sure and steel eyed his buddies into beleiving as well.
"Now can you make a flyer?"Brian started folding a paper airplane, " no you dip make a
sign that says we want your bottles for a boys club."
Rodney shook his head, was it really going to work with a gang like this?
Brian and Travis drew a bunch of posters touting the virtues of supporting the boys club.
Not the "Boys Club" , but their boys club. And how the bottles would send them all to camp.
And provide them with all manner of camp B.S.
Rodney stared at the crude posters and said" It just might work".
Rodney slept that night, better than ever with the plan well on it's way.
The next day he told his mom that he was invited to church in town.
A gentle lie to get him out all morning to hunt for customers.
He stopped at a few people that he knew, some were receptive
to helping out " the boys club". and said to stop by time to time.
for some bottles.
Then some said stop by every week for a donation.
He wrote them down in a note book.
Then he stopped by a strangers house and the man who lived there said,
"I got some bottles but I don't wanna giv'em away come back an I let you
work for'em.
Rodney thought on that for a bit.
By the time he made his regular search for bottles, he had 5,
enough for a Bubble Up at the bait and tackle store.
The only place open on Sunday.
When Rodney was milling around the minnow tank with his pop making
faces at the fish, He heard a familiar voice. Turning around, there was Lenny.
Lenny waved and said,"howdy neighbor." Rodney said hi and wondered what
he was doing. "Hey Lenny what you got?"
" Nightcrawlers, I sell'em every week."
Rodney envisioned Lenny out in his yard with a flashlight every night
hunting down worms.
" So how do you get so many"?
"You going home Rod, ? I'll give you a ride, an show you my operation."
" Ok I'll get my bike in the truck".
They loaded the bike and drove west out of town to the old farmstead.
Lenny was longhaired and bearded, a kind face with bright eyes.
He came home after a tour of Nam with a new look on life.
He spoke about alot of things that were inter-related and how people didn't get it.
How the government was killin' the common man. And he was making his own universe
and then no one could put the screws to him.
Rodney nodded at him and soaked in as much of what he said as he could.
He asked about the chicken coop and how many eggs Lenny could eat a week,
but Lenny said the chickens provided a bigger service. I take the chicken crap
put it on the worms and dirt in the cellar. They walked to the cellar and went down
to a pair feed bunks converted to worm beds.
After the tour Rodney, turned and said, " I got this test coming up on current events,
I was supposed to watch the news tonight". "Do you know about why President Nixon
was empeached? Lenny said " , You come to the right man, I got the inside news on Nixon.
According to my Weatherman weekly, He, blah, blah ,blah ,blah.
Rodney drifted back to the bottles and money , bicycles, the gang, what they were shooting for.
" and the FBI taped his crooneys spying at the hotel", and at the White House,
He was in bed with the Chinese, J Edgar Hoover found out he called him a fairy.
and didn't like how he was takin care of the protesters.
And he had blood on his hands from Kent State, and he had bad karma.
"Hey you listenin?"I'm tellin you the true facts. Don't listen to Cronkite
the FBI's been payin him to say what they want for years.
Rodney nodded as he pulled his bike from the back of the old International pickup.
"I gotta go", Rodney said. He pedaled up the road, home to his drive.
turned in Clipper wagging his tail and wooo-wooo ing his arrival home.
"Hey boy it's been a big day".
"I think this is going to be big," Rodney fell asleep after dinner,
Thinking of spying at the hotel in Springtown and kicking the President outta town....
Tune in again Schools almost out.....
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