The Search by Darrell Maloney Page A

know we got off on the wrong foot with Colonel Montgomery, but he turned out to be a very nice man. A little gruff, maybe. But he said he had to be that way in his line of work, and I believed him.
         “And I liked him. It’s unfortunate what happened, but I don’t blame him for it. I wish they’d just drop it before they ruin a good man’s reputation.”
         “I don’t see how you can not be angry. You could have died.”
         Hannah turned to Joel and asked, “You got anything to add?”
         “No. I’m enjoying watching the two of you fight. In fact, I think you should dump Mark over this issue. And in case you’ve forgotten, I’m available.”
         “Fat chance. I love the big lug too much to dump him. Sorry.”
         “Well, in that case I will give you my two cents. I knew Colonel Montgomery for quite awhile. They called our crew the orphans . Because every one of us had lost everyone in our families.
         “All we had left was each other. So we kind of created our own family. The colonel was gruff, as you say. But he was a good man. And he couldn’t have prevented the crash, even if he’d been sitting in the co-pilot’s seat.”
         It didn’t take long for Joel Hance and Mark Snyder to become friends, despite their professed love for the same woman.
         “Oh, don’t pay any attention to Joel’s flirting,” Hannah told her husband. “I’ve heard that he flirts with anyone in a skirt.”
         The nurse who brought Joel into Hannah’s room backed her up.
         “That’s true. I’ve seen him in action and can testify to that. He’s even made passes at Nurse Ratchet.”
         Joel said, “Hey, I stopped when she started flirting back.”
         Then, as an afterthought, “And that’s not true. I don’t flirt with everyone in a skirt.”
         “Name one woman in this hospital you haven’t proposed to or asked to honeymoon with or called ‘beautiful’ or ‘sweetheart.’”
         Joel thought for a moment and was stumped.
         “Well, okay. You’ve got me. But in my defense, it’s my father’s fault.”
         Hannah’s jaw dropped. She was speechless.
         Mark said, “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
         “No, seriously. It’s my father’s fault. You see, he was a very good father and a very good man. Very wise for his years too.
         “He taught me everything about how to be a man. Hunting, fishing, self-defense, baseball…
         “But two of the most important things he taught me were about women. He said no matter where I went in life, or what I did, to always treat women with the utmost respect. Because if it weren’t for women none of us guys would be here.”
         Hannah said, “True so far. Keep going.”
         “He taught me that all women are beautiful. Every single one of them. Big, little, short, tall, black, white, blondes or redheads. It doesn’t matter. Every single woman is beautiful.”
         Hannah said, “Still true. What was the second thing he taught you about us?”
         “That you all need compliments. Continuously. He said compliments are nourishment for your souls. That just as your body needs food, your soul needs to know that you are beautiful, and desirable, and wanted, and admired.
          “He said you can live for a few days without water. And you can live a few weeks without food. But that you cannot live, cannot really live, without flattery. He said that flattery, and knowing that you’re beautiful, is what puts the sparkle in a woman’s eyes. And that without that sparkle, you’re just going through the motions. Just using up your time on this earth without ever really living.
         “And he said you’re not as happy. And that counts doubly for us men. Because we all know that when Mama’s not happy…”
         Mark finished the sentence for him.
         “Then nobody is happy.”