CHAPTER 32
Warble and Mary McGorkle landed the Arodnap in the exact same spot as they had when they visited Tinga Tinga the first time. They returned to the same year as then also (2525), but this time a few months later in the year.
Warble’s former right-hand-man, Ward Bond Robespierre, had been in Tanzania for only those few months, but from the McGorkles’ perspective, it had been longer than that since they had last seen him. This was because, after returning to 2024 Oconomowoc, they had remained there the better part of a year before Warble was both willing and able to travel through time and space again.
As they had parted on less than amicable terms, Ward was not overjoyed when he heard that Warble was back. He was surprised, though. Shocked, even.
“Mary, it’s good to see you,” Ward greeted Warble’s wife, as he approached the McGorkles after being told by Sojourner Truth that his old ‘friends’ were back in the village.
Ward deliberately ignored Warble at first. But then he noticed something different about his old boss. Warble was smiling. And he seemed relaxed. He had an entirely different ‘aura’ about him. He was giving off a different ‘vibe.’ His whole demeanor seemed to have changed.
“Ward, it’s good to see you, too, my old friend,” Warble said, and extended his hand. After a slight hesitation, Ward took it, but only due to the change he had perceived in Warble’s attitude.
“I don’t blame you for not being happy to see me, Ward. I wouldn’t be happy to see the old me if I were you, either,” Warble said.
“I can hardly believe it, Warble. I never expected to see you again. What has come over you? I mean . . ..”
What could Warble have said? ‘I’m a better man, now, Ward?’ or ‘I saw the light’ or some other hackneyed phrase or phony-sounding platitude?
Warble merely shrugged and grinned, but Mary spoke up for her husband and provided Ward with a character reference for the ‘new’ Warble.
“I honestly wish I could say something like, ‘I knew you had it in you, Warble,’ but I’m sorry, I can’t in all sincerity do that,” Ward said. “I had given up on you ever being anything but a shallow, selfish, narrow-minded, psychotic, hard-hearted megalomaniac.”
Although he didn’t see the necessity of Ward putting it quite that way, Warble said, “I don’t blame you, Ward. I was those things. And I’m still not perfect, but I am progressing in the right direction.”
Ward stared at Warble, stunned, and then gave him an I-can-hardly-believe-it smile. He grabbed Warble’s hand firmly now and shook it anew, saying, “It is definitely good to meet the ‘new’ Warble. How about you two come over to my place for lunch, and we can talk over new times — what your plans are, how Mary’s begonias are growing, what you’ve been up to, all that sort of thing.”
“And what you’ve been up to, too, Ward,” Warble said, slapping him on the back as the three turned to walk down the road to Ward’s house.
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