THE BELL
…and Mike ran to change two switches and guide the engines to the
appropriate spot. The other two, Giovanni and Johnny, went to the area
of the fuel pumps and the pit, where they checked the underbelly of the
engines while Mike filled the tanks with fuel. Scotty checked all levers
and pressures as the others got busy doing their jobs. Mile noticed that
a light snow started falling and a light breeze perked up, spreading a
chill in the air. The bodies felt the cold, and the exposure to the frost
was getting into them.
Darkness had covered the yard like a shroud, and poetic images
came into Mike’s mind, which he promised himself that he’d write
some time later. Giovanni and Johnny finished their inspection, and
after Mike finished his job, the engines were driven back outside the
old shack for the rest of the work. Mike started washing the outside
of the engines, and the mechanic and his helper did their part of the
maintenance. All men worked for an hour and a half until the engines
were ready to be taken away. They all had an hour to relax and wait for
the new crew. They sat inside the shack when, from inside the cabin,
Scotty yelled,
“The darn bell isn’t working.”
Johnny, with his cigarette hanging off his mouth, climbed up to
the top of the engine to check the bell. Surely nothing looked different
than any other time, yet the bell was silent when Scotty turned the
proper switch on. The bell was needed each time the engines came to
a station and was part of the general function. However, tonight, the
chill in the air had frozen the air in the air pipe, which surely couldn’t
activate the bell. Giovanni also climbed up, and both men struck the
air pipe with their hammers, hoping that they would help the air flow,
but to no avail.
“The air pipe is frozen,” Giovanni diagnosed, and the boss said,
“Why don’t you try to warm it up with a couple of flares…” Surely Mike
ran to the shop and brought a bag with half a dozen flares. In the meantime,
Giovanni and Johnny climbed down and chatted with Scotty
inside the cabin.
