The Magazine

Joshua proceeds to tell Grandpa most of what had been happening, particularly about the professor meetings and the Bourbon Club. Because Grandpa is very computer literate, he even tells him about his masking, untracking, and SIMO vehicle deactivation programs. Grandpa is both excited and amused. He is particularly interested in the Bourbon Club meeting that night. After Joshua finishes, Grandpa says, “Son, I have told you that what you are being taught about our nation’s history is not the truth. But my question to you is, how well do you know these professors and what their group is planning to do?” “I don’t know them well, nor do I know exactly what they are planning. However, we are going to that meeting tonight and we will learn more then. The thing I wanted to do is take them some more magazines. I also want to put the Waldo program on your iomni, epad, and computer. That way, if you go somewhere the SIMOs can’t find you so easily. Give me your e-devices for a minute.” Joshua proceeds to download his voice-activated Waldo program to Grandpa’s e-devices. He explains to Grandpa how to turn Waldo on and off using voice commands and also cautions him to turn it off when he doesn’t need to be untracked. “OK, now where are those other magazines and books?” asks Joshua. “Well, it’s mostly magazines and I have two stashes. I had them all in suitcases upstairs, and I still have one suitcase with some magazines upstairs under the bed. But I took most of them and put them under the seats of the Charger and the Camaro out back in the garage, mostly under the back seats. You can drive either or both of those cars back to Athens and unload the magazines there. But don’t take a chance of unloading those magazines in any public place. The suitcase upstairs you can take in the trunk of your car. I assume you remember how to take the back seats out of those old cars, and do you remember where I keep the keys?” “Yes sir, I remember both. What did you do with the empty suitcases, can I use them to carry the magazines in the cars back to Athens?” Joshua asks. “Unfortunately, I took those empty suitcases to the trash dump. I didn’t think I would need them again and I felt hiding the magazines where I did would be safer because not many folks today know how to pull a back seat out of those old cars.” Joshua responds, “You are right about that. If you hadn’t shown me I wouldn’t know. OK, it’s probably best to leave those magazines in the cars under the seats for now. Let me get a look at this older home where we are meeting tonight. If we decide to help the Bourbon Club what I will probably do is come back and drive the cars to Athens one weekend and unload them then. I can pretend to go to one of the local car shows, which they have almost every Saturday. But for now, let us take the magazines in the suitcase upstairs back to Athens today. We will take those to the meeting later tonight.” “Sounds like a plan. Just be careful about that meeting tonight. I hope you can trust these professors,” replies Grandpa. “I think we can trust them because they would be in as much trouble as us if they are caught with old magazines. Once we know more about this club, we can decide whether to come back and get the rest of the magazines. I assume both cars are ready to drive?” “Oh yes, they both run like a scalded dog. Plus, I keep them full of gas because I drive one of them every Saturday to my old farts Saturday morning breakfast.” “OK. If this meeting tonight goes well, we might try to come back and get the rest next Saturday, assuming we can find an Athens car show next weekend. You should go with us, then it won’t look so strange that David and I are driving eighty-year-old cars.” “OK. Just let me know when you are coming. Let’s go get that suitcase.” Upstairs, the three men walk into the bedroom where the suitcase is hidden. Grandpa starts to get down on his knees to retrieve the suitcase from under the bed. “Here, let me get that,” Joshua says, stopping Grandpa from getting on his knees. Joshua bends down, reaches under the bed, and pulls out a heavy suitcase. Out of curiosity, he lifts the suitcase onto the bed and opens it. At first glance, the suitcase appears to have a bunch of old clothes, mostly ladies’ clothes. But removing those old clothes reveals a virtual treasure trove of magazines and a couple of old books dating from the 1950s up through the 1970s. The magazines cover almost 30 years of news, history, and advertising, with many pictures of life during those times. The books are two history books. Standing there, in the musty-smelling, little-used bedroom, the two younger men begin to leaf through some of the magazines. The silence in the room is only disturbed by the sound of magazine pages turning and occasionally interrupted by a small exclamation from one of the two young men. After several minutes, Joshua says, “Grandpa, I had no idea. There are so many things that are different today, that are changed. I mean look at these pictures, the clothes people wear, the homes, the cars, everything. It’s all changed. Is this really how it was when you were young?” The older man replies, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, son. A lot of things today are different from when I was young. And folks are trying to tell you these changes are for the better, that the country and citizens are better off. They are telling you that while they lie about America’s past.