November, 1976
Nick and Tim are camped out on the dark green sofa staring at Hee Haw on a Zenith console as Ned relaxes with a beer and grandma June and Irene cackle in the kitchen, at least the adults are having a good time. The old toys have been put away since the boys can't stop fighting over them and at this point are too tired to even pick at each other, not so much a physical tired, but tired of all the no-nos and getting growled at, they had to eat turkey and potatoes AGAIN, sometimes it's just too much work.
Ned's dad is busy with the radios and so they have to stay in here and be quiet until he is done, then they can visit him, although Tim really wants to play with the basement games but no one else will humor him while digesting. They are here for the night and then to grandparent's church in the morning for some unwanted attention.
Just as the twins with the guitars finish singing and they cut to commercial, "Boys? Wanna sit with me?"
He looks up and Paps is standing there with that half grin, "Come on."
So Nick gets up and looks at his brother, just slumped in the couch and looking hopeless, he doesn't appear much alive let alone interested. Tim’s been a pain lately anyway. Nick has been trying to experience a rocket launch with his bike along the sidewalk, which launches after a countdown from ten then you have to accelerate, and keep accelerating, to reach the moon. For it to work, someone else would need to run point and try to keep everyone else off the sidewalk or at least warn if there’s a car, but Tim usually just rides off to screw around.
Screw ‘im, Nick makes his way back to the shack. It's a small, paneled room with a lot of shelves and the postcards with the letters and numbers, all different colors, and the aroma of pipe tobacco is stronger here than anywhere else in the house. Some of the shelves have books but the center piece are two layers of boxes with knobs, most say "Heath" but one has a red stamp that reads COLLINS.
"I just finished up the traffic net, sorry I had to shut everyone out but after all these years I still get distracted too easy."
Paps eases into his squeaky wheeled chair and dominates it, seated at an angle to the desk, his hand rests next to the thing he uses to send the clicks and beeps. After a burst of inspiration he starts tuning around on the Collins. "Lessee if any of these ne'er-do-wells are still around, we'll skedoo on up to sideband-land."
He reaches for a microphone, pulls it front and center and hits a few switches here and there. After a few turns of the dial there's a sound that's like a voice but just the cadence, then turns into a duck full of helium, then eventually he hears a thin voice that appears to be frustrated with deer hunting.
After a few more sentences Paps taps the base of the mic,"Haven't you learned to shoot straight yet? W9EAU."
"It's about time you piped up Jimmy, heard ya on the CW there, come on in."
"I just heard you so far Dave so I'll turn it back to the next in line, got my grandson Nick here, my younger boy's gang is up from Jameson."
A different voice, "WA9OVQ here- I'll pick it up, good to hear you Jim, Hi to Nick and tell Ned he needs to come join the hunt, and Dave, I know what you mean..." and he goes on.
Nick could smell a kind of heat in the air, similar to the back of a TV set, he asks Paps, "Do your radios have the bulbs inside?"
"Heh, yeah they have tubes in 'em, we're not to the point to have these rigs all solid state, shouldn't be long, I hear the Japs are working on it hand over fist, no surprise there."
The radio voices ramble on and Nick is content, he'd get hugged in the kitchen and otherwise it's the couch, but then pretty soon Ned and Tim appear at the door.
Paps looks up and says, "Watch this, " and motions Nick over.
"W9EAU with special guest, go ahead and say hi to these guys Nicky."
Nick steps up toward the mic, looks at Paps grinning, then up at his dad, also grinning, Tim is just slumped against the opposite doorpost, so Nick kinda shrugs and says,
"Hey there old boys, whatcha doin?"
Paps simply unkeys the mic and puts his head down to chuckle, Ned bends over laughing, and there's a chorus of laughter from the speaker."
"Hey there Nicky, good to hear your voice, bud - Jim you better get this kid licensed before long."
"Roget that," another joins in.
"Hey Mister Nick."
Paps shakes his head and keys up, "Well there ya have it, he knows what he's talking about doesn't he? I think we're gonna head downstairs and play the table games with these monkeys, I'll QRT for now, have a good night if I don't make it back on here, whiskey-niiiinnnne-echo-alpha-united...seven-three."
After the round of seven-threes and guunites Paps keys for a final "gunnite all" and shuts down the boxes with the glowing bulbs inside.