The Adventures of Jerry the Parking Lot Attendant – Episode
2: A Relaxing Vacation
The sun
was already high in the sky when Tom awoke. He lay in a white hammock, slowly
swaying in the tropical breeze. A worn cowboy hat covered his face. His
flip-flops lay on the ground a few feet from his hammock. His colorful shirt
and khaki shorts were rumpled from being slept in. As he roused from his
slumber, he looked down at himself.
Maybe this vacation was a little too
overdue. He thought.
Tom was
a software designer back in Los Angeles. But here, he was just another guy on
vacation - without a care in the world. It had been… Tom couldn’t remember how
long since he had taken a vacation. It
must have been my last spring break in college. That had been almost ten years
ago. Ah well, at least he was taking one now.
The
beach lay only a few hundred feet from the hammock that had served as Tom’s bed
the night before. He looked over, and saw a few people sun bathing, swimming,
or walking in the sand. His favorite part about this resort was that there were
so few people at it. Of course, such exclusivity carried a hefty price tag.
Tom
turned and walked away from the beach, up to a building that was designed to
look like a very large bamboo hut. In reality, it was a very sturdy building
that housed the resort’s bar and restaurant. He sat at one of the small, round
tables, and picked up a menu. The selection ranged from lobster to filet
mignon. Tom rubbed his chin while he pondered his choice of breakfast… or was
it lunch? He decided to go with breakfast, since he hadn’t eaten anything yet.
“May I
help you, sir?” One of the waitresses asked.
“Yes…
Can I get a South-West Omelet, extra cheese, with bacon? Oh, and an orange
juice.”
“Yes
sir. I will put the order in for you right away.”
As the
waitress walked away towards the kitchen, Tom looked around the restaurant.
There was a couple sitting a few tables away – Tom thought they were probably
newlyweds by the way they looked at each other. At the bar there was an old man
dressed in a red jump suit, with flip flops and a black fedora. The… unusual
outfit made Tom stare for a moment, and old man noticed. The man picked up his
drink and sauntered over to where Tom sat.
“Good
afternoon to ya, my boy!” The man sat himself down at Tom’s table without
waiting for an invitation. “How do ya like the place?”
“Um…
it’s a very nice resort, sir…”
“Glad
you think so! It’s one of my favorites.” The man took a sip of his drink. “How
long have ya been here?”
“I, uh,
guess last night was my second night here… Sir, can I –“
“Aye,
it’s a good time of year to come visit! In another month or so, the hurricanes
will be coming through. And you don’t want to be here during a hurricane, let
me tell you!”
“But…
hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean. They call them Typhoons in this part of
the world.”
The old
man waved his hand impatiently. “Hurricanes. Typhoons. Both are bad for
business.” He stuck out his hand. “The name’s Jack. Nice to meet ya!”
Tom
hesitated, then reached out and shook the man’s hand. “I’m Tom. It’s… good to
meet you too.”
“What
do you do, Tom?”
“I’m a
software developer.”
The man
laughed. “Is that so? I’ve written some software in my time. What sort of
software do you develop?”
Tom
spent the next several minutes explaining the banking and other financial
software that he had worked on. At least, he tried to explain it. Jack would
interrupt him with more questions before he could finish answering the last
question he had asked. Finally, the interrogation was put on hold when the
waitress appeared with Tom’s Omelet.
She smiled
when she saw Jack sitting at the table with Tom. “Thank you, Gwinn,” Jack Said.
“I’ll take care of the bill for my friend here.”
“Yes
Sir!” She set the Omelet down. “Can I get you anything, Jack?”
“Not
right now, thank you.”
As he
cut into his Omelet, Tom eyed the strange man across the table from him. “What
about you… Jack? What do you do?”
“Oh…
this and that. Although, I’m mostly retire from doing this and that these
days.”
Tom
frowned. “I… see.”
Jack
laughed again. “It’s nothin’ bad, my boy! These days I spend a lot of time at
this resort and a few others. I find the tropical air does wonders for my
lungs!”
“…you
spend the majority of your time at resorts like this?”
“Ha!
Well, this and that pay very well when you are good at it!” The man chuckled to
himself. “Ah… I’m sorry, son. I can see you think I’m some sort of spy. It’s
nothing that exciting… Tell you what. The radio show that I started out on
should be playing about now back in the states. Would you care to listen to how
I got my start?”
Tom had
to admit that he was intrigued by this eccentric man. “Why not? Do you have a
radio on hand?”
The man
raised one eyebrow and pulled a smart phone out of his pocket. “I thought ya
were a software developer!” He pushed some icons on the touch screen, and a
radio program began to play through the phone’s speakers.
“…with
your host, Bobby Blindside!”
“Ladies
and gentlemen, tonight we bring you a special program. By now you have probably
heard about the strange event that occurred a few nights ago in Greenfield,
Ohio. Tonight, we are broadcasting from Greenfield. I have spent the last two
days and nights working tirelessly to bring you this report. It is one of our
finest pieces of investigative journalism, and you can only get it here. Let’s
start off with what the newspapers and TV stations have told us.
“Last
Friday night seemed like any other Friday night in Greenfield, Ohio. There was
a rock concert at the civic center, and a minor-league baseball game at the
town’s stadium. While many of the town’s residents were at one of these events,
many others had decided to just stay home, or go out for dinner and a movie.
Nothing seemed unusual to anyone in town. That is, until 1:23 AM, when a roar
that was described by the Greenfield Reporter as ‘sounding like a low-flying
fighter jet’ ripped most of the residents from their peaceful slumber. People
rushed to their windows and saw a light in the sky that was speeding off into
the distance. Understandably, many of the citizens of this fair town were upset
and confused. Some ran outside to try to get a better look at what had made the
noise. According to the local news reporters, no one saw anything else. The
Mayor of Greenfield released a statement the next afternoon that called the
roar and light an ‘unscheduled military fly-over.’ That, ladies and gentlemen,
is the official story. I have investigated this incident thoroughly, and I am
here to tell you – there is more going on in Greenfield, Ohio than just an
unscheduled military fly-over. But before I tell you about that, I’d like to
thank a few of the courageous people that have made it possible for me to
continue to bring the truth to you on this program.” The phone then began to
play a commercial for a do-it-yourself legal documents website.
“You
started this program?” Tom spoke over the sound of the commercial.
“Aye, I
did,” the old man smiled. “Those were some good times. This fellow I’ve got
doing the program now does a good job, but there are times when I miss the
thrill of finding and reporting on weird an unexplained happenings. Now be
quiet so I can hear what really happened out there!” Jack tried to scowl, but
the smile in his eyes betrayed him.
“…Look
at the evidence!” Bobby Blindside was back on the air. “The nearest military
base to Greenfield is in Dayton – more than an hour away. The nearest airport
at all is over 30 miles away – and that is just a regional airport. Why would a
military plane be flying so low that it would wake up an entire town when the
nearest place for it to land is 60 miles away? More importantly, if a military
plane were flying over Greenfield, wouldn’t there be reports of the plane
between Greenfield and the airbase? I can tell you there are no such reports.
This claim that there was an unscheduled fly-over also ignores the other thing
that every witness is reporting: a bright light moving off into the distance.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure most of you have seen a plane fly at night.
There are very distinctive lights on the wings and tail. An airplane – even a
fighter jet – does not look like a bright light moving off into the distance!
The official story makes no sense! So, why are the mayor and the newspapers
spreading this story if makes no sense? Well, it’s because there is more to the
story, and they don’t want you to know about it. But that is why I am here,
ladies and gentlemen. I am here to spread the truth. I am here to keep you
informed and help you wade your way through the stories and half-truths spun by
newspapers and government officials. I am here so that you can know what really
happened.
“When
we come back, I have a very special guest that will be on the program with us.
He is an eye-witness to the noise and the light in the sky, but more than that,
he is an eye-witness to what occurred before the noise woke up the rest of the
town. Stay tuned, ladies and gentlemen, for an interview with an eye-witness to
what really happened.”
The
radio program went to a commercial break. The first commercial was for a
national toothpaste brand – recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists!
Jack
got up and went to the bar to get a re-fill of his drink. Tom had finished his
Omelet while he listened to the broadcast. While Jack was at the bar, Gwinn
came over to his table. “Can I take that plate from you, sir?”
“Oh,
yes, thank you…” He paused, looking at Jack over at the bar. “Just who is that
old guy?” He asked as Gwinn picked up the plate and silverware from the table.
Gwinn
glanced at the bar and whispered, “I don’t really know, sir. None of us know
who he is. I do know that he is very rich, and he tips generously.” As she
straightened and shifted the plate to her left hand, she asked, “Is there
anything else I can get you?”
“Not
right now. Thank you.”
A
commercial was still playing on the smart phone as Jack sat back down and took
a long sip of his drink. “You should try the chocolate pie here.” He said as he
put his drink on the table. “It is one of the best I have ever had!”
“I just
might try it after dinner tonight.” Tom smiled, and shifted in his chair, bouncing
his leg a few times. “So, Jack, how do you know the staff here so well?”
“Like I
said, I stay here a lot.” Before Tom could ask him to elaborate, the voice of
Bobby Blindside was, once again, coming through the speakers of Jack’s smart
phone.
“Welcome
back, ladies and gentlemen. If you are just joining us, we are talking about
what really happened last Friday night in Greenfield, Ohio. There have been
reports of a loud, roaring sound, and a bright light moving off into the
distance. The official story is that it was an unscheduled military fly-over. I
already explained how that doesn’t make any sense just based on what the
newspapers have reported. Now, I have a very special guest with me in the
studio. He is an eye witness to what occurred before that loud noise. What’s
your name, sir?”
“Jerry.”
“Thank
you for coming on the show tonight, Jerry.”
“Oh,
it’s my pleasure, sir! I always wanted to be on the radio!”
“Well,
now’s your chance! Tell me, Jerry, where were you last Friday night?”
“Well,
I was at work… I work at the, uh… as a parking lot attendant near the civic
center. I was working last Friday. There was a rock concert at the center that
we expected to go late, so my boss asked me if I was willing to work and stay
late on Friday. I told him I was, so I he scheduled me to work that night.”
“How
late were you out there?”
“Well,
the concert finished around 12:30 or so. Most of the cars were out of the lot
by 1, but there were a few people who were still at the civic center – I guess
they must have been cleaning up or something – and their cars were still parked
in the lot. My boss told me to stay until all of the cars were gone, or until
2, whichever came first.”
“Makes
sense. Can you tell us what you saw?”
“Um, I
guess it must have been around 1:15 or so. I was waiting for the last couple of
people to come get their cars, like I said. I heard this hissing noise. I
thought it might be a snake or something, so grabbed my flashlight and shined
it around my booth. I didn’t see nothing, so I went outside to look around.
When I stepped outside, I looked up and there was a this huge… thing floating
right over my head!”
“A huge
thing? Can you describe it for us?”
“It was
big – at least a hundred feet across. It was kinda hard to see much detail in
the dark, but it was definitely round – maybe even circular. Oh, and there was
this greenish glow coming from underneath it.”
“What
did you do next?”
“I was
so scared, I couldn’t move for nothing at first! Then I dropped my flashlight
and started backing into my booth. But then I must have tripped or somthin’,
‘cause I fell flat on my back. Then I was looking right up at the thing. I
thought I was a gonner for sure!”
“It
sound terrifying, Jerry! Did the thing do anything to you?”
“Sorta.
While I was lying there on my back, I see a bluish light come out of the thing
and shine on one of the cars below it. The light moved towards me, and I
covered my head with my hands. I couldn’t see much else, but I know the light
shone on me. Then it turned off. I looked up and couldn’t see nothing above me
anymore. Then I hear this terrible sound – like a jet or something. And saw a
blue light flying off into the distance faster than anything I ever seen
before.”
“Where
you ok?”
“Yes,
sir. I got up and brushed myself off. I didn’t feel any different. I wasn’t
hurt or nothing. Just kinda scared.”
“Was
there anyone there with you?”
“I
don’t know. I was the only one working that night, but there might have been
someone else on the street or something. I didn’t notice anyone, though.”
“Have
you told anyone else about this?”
“Oh,
yes sir! I told the newspaper and called the TV station.”
“Did
they interview you?”
“They
both started to. But when I started telling them what I saw, they dismissed me
and wouldn’t put anything I told them into the paper or on TV.”
“That’s
terrible! Well, thank you for telling me your story! I am always happy to let
the truth be heard across this nation!”
“Thank
you sir! I didn’t think anybody was going to listen to me!”
“Thank
you for coming in this evening, Jerry. When we return, ladies and gentlemen, I
will be taking your calls. What was the huge, round object that Jerry saw? Your
calls, after this.”
Jack
picked up his phone and turned off the radio program. “So, Tom, what do you
think of all that?”
“Well,
it seems likely that the ‘huge object’ the guy saw was just the result of too
many late nights alone in a parking lot. If I were a betting man, I would put
my money on low flying fighter jets or helicopters. Some military exercise that
they didn’t tell the town about.”
“Is
that so?” Jack scratched his head under his fedora. “…is that so? Well, humor
an old man. If it were a military jet, where did the light that everyone saw
come from?”
“Maybe
they put a bright light on the jet?”
“A light
on a jet? What for? They don’t go slow enough to have any use for a bright
light.”
“Well,
it could have been a helicopter – they are lit up a lot more than jets.”
“Do
helicopters sound like a roaring jet engine? Or move as fast as all those
witnesses say it moved?”
“Well…
I… I don’t know!” Tom pushed his chair back and stood. He took a deep breath.
“Look, mister. It’s been fun, but I am only here for one more night, and I
intend to relax on my vacation.”
Jack
raised his hands in surrender. “Settle down. Settle down. I won’t keep you any
longer if you want to leave.”
Tom
hesitated a moment, and Jack stood and walked around the table. He reached into
his pocket and pulled out a small notebook and a pen. He began writing. “Tell
you what. When you get back to the states, call this number. I’d love to have a chat with you some time.”
Tom
took the slip of paper. Jack had written his name on it and a phone number. It
was an area code that Tom recognized – the phone was local to the Los Angeles
area. Tom put the paper in his pocket. “I’ll do that, Jack. It has been a
pleasure meeting you.”
The two
men shook hands, and Jack walked back towards the bar as Tom walked out the
door towards the beach.
What a strange man, Tom thought. He put
the slip of paper into his wallet when he got back to his cabin. There, he
showered and changed into his swimsuit. He went out and swam in the ocean,
relaxed on the beach, and ate dinner at a crab shack on the beach. By the time
he returned to his cabin late that night, he had forgotten all about Jack and
the strange incident in Ohio.