Trouble in Paradise

The boys and the Texas gals wander over to the air plane landing place with Homer Ewing, the gals daddy, to watch him leave in his Cessna 310 with twin motor, plane a heading back to Dallas. He wants to leave promptly at 7 o'clock. He shakes hands with the boys and kisses his gals then hops in the plane, fires both motors up, and heads down the run strip to take off. As they watch the strip here comes ole Homer like a bat out of hell and suddenly he is in the air and gone with the wind. That plane sure is quick.

The group head back to the eating place and has breakfast before heading down to the boat to theys last two training dives.

The group of yankees is better behaved today and is almost nice, almost. Barry is along today but its Phillips has a day off. Gary is still the main man and boat driver person. Clem is the head instructer today and he does a briefing nearly as good as Bubba's.

They is a diving in 60 feeets of water today out near where theys feed the sharks. As theys descend, theys sees a shark or ten but the gals is not the least bit scart. These are some tough womens, theys look like playmates but is strong willed as a NFL linebackers. Well anyhows the dive goes perfect with all skills completed like pros. The rest of the time theys look for lobsters to catch. Back on the boat Gary axes if the gals want to really see sum sharks? They is reel excited, but Clem tells em theys got to do the skills first. They don't move the boat and after sitting in the sun fer an hour, theys go back in to cheat death once again. After flawlessly performing the skills, Gary leads them off to a sandy area where theys a hole bunch of sharks. An impressive display of large predators. When the dive is over, the girls hug Gary and thank him for showing them his babies.

Back ashore the girls get a message that theys Auntie Louise is reel sick and theys need to fly home as quick as theys can. Gary says that there is a seaplane leaving at 3 o'clock and theys room for the gals. Everybody is disappointed but the gals tell Bubba and Clem to stay the rest of the week with theys friends at Walker's and that they will take care of all expenses.

At least there is time for lunch and an hour or so to sit and "talk". The gals has took quite a shine to Bubba and Clem by now, to know our heroes is to love our heroes.

Lunch of a fried fish samwich and French fried tatters goes way too fast. Theys go to the girl's room and hep them pack up and get ready to leave. Clem stays in the room with Thelma Rae and Betty Sue follers Bubba to his room to "talk". Well an hour later theys load up in Gary's golf cart and head to the air plane strip. The Pan Am Air Bridge Grumman Otter is ready to load up and its not very full, just the two pilots, the two ladies and two regular looking fellers with no baggage 'cept for carry on, what came off a boat that was there this morning but done left. Said theys was going to Freeport in the boat. It was one of them dope smuggling looking kinda boats they call a cigarette. Thelma Rae said that the Gulfstreem would be waiting at Ft Lauderdale airport for them.

The girls leava a $500 tip for Gary and Barry and Phillip each get $300.

Well, they give Bubba and Clem one heck of a hug and a real long kiss that would make a marble statue take to a smiling. The plane heads down the ramp, out through the harbor and takes off like a duck. This is the seaplane that that Jimmy Buffet feller had painted reel pretty for a Corona beer commercial.

The boys are reel sad, now don't any of you let that quite yankee gal in the yeller string bikini thang know about this here trip with the beautiful rich womens., ya hear. This island paradise just ain't the same without the gals. Brenda comes and sits by the cement pond with the boys and trys to cheer them up. Brittany, Brenda's daughter brings sum of her birds over and this helps a lot. Well about half past five, Gary comes a running over and tells them he just heard from Pan Am that the seaplane ain't got to Ft Lauderdale yet and its only an hour flight and its been 2 and a half hours now. Bubba's jaw hits his kneed in shock. What could have happened? The Pan Am folks have sent search planes to see if theys can see anything. The Coast Guard can't locat anything, which isn't suprising. Theys was no radio contact and Miami radar said the plane just vanished off the screen about 30 miles out of Lauderdale about half an hour after take off at Walker's. Clem goes to the telephone and rangs up Homer Ewing to inform him of what's happened. Homes says he will be in Lauderdale as soon as he can hitch a ride on a friends jet since his is in Lauderdale waiting for the daughters. Clem knows Homer will be there in a couple hours, that man doesn't accept the word can't.

Well its dark now and no word from the seaplane, nothing at all. Everybody fears the worst. Bubba just ambles off down the island with tears in his eyes.

TO BE CONTINUED