Crossing Paths with Spook

So, for about 15 years I kept stumbling across Spook's path.  Although the amount of coincidence was mind numbing, I suspected God was up to something and it did make my travels more interesting.  Nothing like being gone from home 85% of the time with nothing to do where you end up and no one to even yak at over a meal.  Really boring and lonely.  If nothing else, Spook was entertaining when we crossed paths. And you never knew when or where he was going to turn up!

So, I was clearing customs at Heathrow, in England, on a flight from Holland, in route to Ireland, and I suddenly hear my name!  I was just entering the tunnel for the Irish flight when I turned and saw Spook wave.  I dropped my bag and moaned.  Really, I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but now I would have to have my game face on.  Plus, he was always strip searched at airports.

A guard was standing there next to me and asked what was up.  I told him that my friend was coming through behind me and it would be at least 45 minutes before he cleared the metal detector - as one of the bones in his forearm was stainless steel.  Seems he cheesed off one of his older sister's boyfriends when he was 12, whom as able to trap him inside a folding ladder, and yup - SNAP, end of forearm.  So they replaced one of those bones with a steel beam (and that was in 1957, wow!).

So as expected, the detectors went off big time and three guards appear from nowhere, all carrying Uzi's.  The guard by me said something into a mike on his jacket and this was apparently relayed to the three, whom then turned around and told him to put his clothes back on - which by instinct he was already removing!

The guard had seen my Swiss passport and commented how odd it was that I should be traveling with a Yugoslavian...  Hmmmmmm.

So, we made the flight to Dublin.  I told him I was headed to Cork and he was going 'else where'.  Yeah, I figured I would read about in the paper or on the news.  He was never somewhere that lots of excitement did not happen.....