by Jeff Egerton
The banker told them the house and lot were selling for two hundred dollars. He added that although the house was run down, the lot had a good well and this was one of the few houses in the area that had electric lines connected to the house.
Catwalk stepped outside so he and Earl could talk this over. He was excited about the house, but didn’t want his exuberance to push him into a transaction that he’d regret later.
Earl said, “I think it’s a good investment, just for the land, which should increase in value. It’ll take some work, but that’s the case with any house you’re going to buy in that area.”
“That’s good enough for me. Let’s close the deal.”
Catwalk went back inside and laid down ten twenty dollar bills. The banker said he’d draw up a bill of sale and deed for the title transfer.
When he left the bank Cat felt like he’d accomplished one of his life’s goals by purchasing a house and land for his mother.
That night his family celebrated and began making plans to move to their new home. Dee told Catwalk, “Son, you’ve given me the one thing I’ve wanted for my entire life, and you’ve made me the proudest Mother on earth.”
Catwalk had never felt better. The next morning he and Cecil borrowed a truck from Mr. Slade and brought the first load of lumber to the new house. By the time he had to leave, they had poured the foundation and framed the house. Cecil said by working evenings and weekends, and with help from some of the farm hands, he’d be able to finish it in a couple months.
Catwalk wished he could stay and help, but he knew how much work was piling up at the airline. He left the next morning feeling like he was on top of the world. The trip home had done wonders for him and he felt like he could take on any challenge thrown at him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Over the next year, due to deaths and retirement, the board of directors for Rocky Mountain Airways changed. It was expanded to seven directors, with four of them being new members. In spite of Barney’s best efforts, they weren’t as liberal as the previous board members. They were hardened executives who placed little value in longevity or familiarity. Their method of operation was to install managers whom they could manipulate, and reward people of their choice with the best jobs, regardless of ability or experience.
Their move to replace Catwalk started with a clandestine board meeting that had been scheduled with short notice so Barney wouldn’t be able to attend. John Sullivan, an original board member, and the president of Fred Harvey Hotels, had seen the writing on the wall. He knew the new members were after Catwalk’s job.
In an effort to forego Catwalk’s ouster, Sullivan was arguing his point.“The man has done an incredible job while he’s been president of this airline. Our passenger revenues have increased every quarter and our cargo revenues have doubled, while maintaining the best safety record in the business. Our stockholders have seen the value of their stock quadruple. You can’t ask for much more than that out of your president.”
Franklin Davis, an oil company executive and new member, countered, “We’re not questioning his ability, John. It’s his image that we have a problem with. Here it is, almost 1940 and we’re still hung up with Jackson because he was one of the founding pilots of this airline. It’s time we move him aside and bring in a business man who will present a more progressive image to the corporate world.”
Sullivan fired back, “You mean you want a white man to be president of Rocky Mountain Airways.”
Davis said, “Now, that’s not what I said and I resent you putting word in my mouth.”
Anthony Fielding, another new member and a cohort of Davis’, piped up, “John, you have a problem that has been plaguing this airline for some time now; you’re not thinking in the future. This airline will be going international before long and we’ll need working agreements with foreign carriers. We’re going to be moving into countries where a black president would be a serious liability. He’s the first impression many people will have of this airline and he might send many of them scurrying for the doors.”
Joseph Oates, another original board member, had been quiet. He tried to look as if he was considering the points of view, but his mind had been made up prior to the meeting. To Sullivan’s surprise, he spoke up, aligned with the newer members. “John, perhaps we can find a place for Jackson where he can continue to exert his management expertise, but where he wouldn’t be as visible. Then, a more suitable president can represent the airline in business matters.”
Sullivan sat down, knowing if Oates capitulated, the fight was over. Catwalk would be reassigned to another position and a new president would be voted in. He glared at the man and said, “What was it, Joe? Did they buy you a new car, or a couple nights with an expensive whore? What swayed you?”
Oates stared out the window and said nothing. Actually, his price had been both; a new Chrysler convertible and two nights in a Los Angeles hotel with a knockout redhead.
A motion was carried to remove Catwalk as president of Rocky Mountain Airways and assign him the position of Director of Personnel and Training. Sullivan asked, “How are you going to notify Mr. Jackson? Do any of you have the guts to tell him to his face, or were you planning on sending him a memo?”
When he didn’t get an answer, Sullivan stood and said, “I’ll notify him.” And he walked out. The remaining board members voted in the new president, Franklin Davis’ son, who had no airline background and little business experience.
John Sullivan drove to the Albuquerque airport and asked the operations clerk, “I need to locate Catwalk. Is he on flight status?”
“Yes, sir. He’s R.O.N. in Phoenix and he’ll be coming back on an early morning flight; flight eighty-four leaves at six thirty.”
“Thank you. Our pilots stay at the Arizona Biltmore, don’t they?”
“Uh, he has to stay at the Stratford Arms, sir.”
Sullivan knew the word of Catwalk’s firing would spread like wildfire and he didn’t want him to hear it through idle conversation. He walked into a vacant office, dialed the hotel and asked for Mr. Jackson’s room.
“Hello.”
“Catwalk, this is John Sullivan. How are you tonight?”
Catwalk immediately knew something was wrong. There was no reason for Sullivan to call him unless he had bad news. He worried that something had happened to Barney.
“I’m fine, John. Is there a problem?”
“Catwalk, there was a board meeting tonight. It was scheduled at the last minute so Barney couldn’t attend. A vote was taken and you are no longer the president of Rocky Mountain Airways. You have been reassigned as the Director of Personnel and Training.”
The news infuriated, upset and insulted Catwalk, but it didn’t surprise him. When your position requires that you make the difficult management decisions, you have to focus on the future, and in which direction trends are moving the company. You can’t afford surprises. He’d seen the changes in the board and with each new member, he knew the board was moving toward a more conservative, and socially acceptable management style. He asked, “Who is the new president?”
“Theodore Davis, Franklin’s son.”
“And they asked you to tell me so they didn’t have to face me, right?”
“I called so you’d find out about it firsthand rather than through gossip.”
“John, I appreciate the call. Does Barney know about this?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I’ll call him. Good night.”
Catwalk hung up the phone and walked over to the window. Looking out over Central Avenue, he thought about the obstacles he’d overcome and the monumental progress he’d made at the airline. Nobody could take that away from him. Those achievements were his no matter what happened and this brought a measure of comfort. Then he thought about his future. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t stay with Rocky Mountain Airways much longer. Regardless, he should call Barney before it got any later.
When Barney answered he said
, “Barney, this is Cat. I just got a call from John Sullivan. A board meeting was held tonight and I’m no longer president of Rocky Mountain.”
“Those God damned sons a’ bitches! It’s Davis and his bunch. I knew they were going to pull something like this. It’s a good damned thing I can’t move or I’d kick some ass.”
“Take it easy, Barney. You’re taking this worse than I did.”
“Those gutless bastards make me sick. What are you going to do?”
“Well, I was just thinking about that. They want to reassign me as Director of Personnel and Training, but I don’t want that job if we have an inexperienced man at the top. I wouldn’t get any support with the tough battles, such as with the unions or the politicians at the Civil Aeronautics Board. This will soon be an airline that I’d not like to work for anymore.”
“I know what you mean, son. Every change lately takes the company in a direction I don’t want it to go. Well, don’t do anything rash. Give this a lot of thought before you make a decision. I’m coming out to Albuquerque in the next few days because I want to tell some people just what I think of them. We’ll talk then.”
“Good night.”
Catwalk then sat down and wrote his Momma. Without going into particulars, he mentioned that he was caught up in a racially motivated struggle; a struggle in which they both knew the odds were stacked against him. He mentioned that he might not be working for this airline much longer.
Then, for the first time in his life, he walked down stairs and went to the bar. The bartender, a tall handsome black man about fifty took his order, “Bourbon on the rocks please.”
When the bartender brought his drink, he said, “You’re the guy that runs Rocky Mountain Airlines, ain’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s me.” Catwalk reached across the bar and shook his hand. “Catwalk Jackson. How are you tonight?”
“Harry Porter, and I’m fine. Say, I’ve seen your picture in the paper and read stories about you, and I have to ask, how’d a young black man ever get to be president of an airline?”
Catwalk took a sip of the bourbon. It felt good, burning off the misery as it went down. He said, “Well, Harry. I met an exceptionally good man, and I was in the right place at the right time when the airline was started, so I grew up with it. That’s all there is to it.”
“Dang. That’s got to be a cushy job, flying all over the place and seeing different cities. I’ll bet you wouldn’t give that up for the world.”
Catwalk grinned and said, “You never know, Harry. Sometimes things just aren’t what they seem to be.”
Catwalk flew back to Albuquerque the next morning. Without coming to a conclusion, he thought about his future for the entire flight. He knew, compared to the rest of the country, how good he had it, and he was apprehensive about throwing in the towel on his career. His job was a one in a million and he’d never get another like it. In fact, if he resigned from the airline, even though he had over five thousand hours flying time, he didn’t think he could get hired as a line pilot for another carrier, much less as a senior executive. One man’s desire to move his son into a position, for which he wasn’t qualified, had completely upset his life, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
After landing, he checked his schedule to make sure he still had two days off. He saw a message that said to call Curly at a long distance number. He dialed and waited, then recognized Curly’s voice. After last night it felt good to hear his old friend.
Catwalk said, “I suppose you’re looking for a flying job.”
“Hey Cat, how you doin’, man?”
“I’m O.K., how about you?”
“I’m ready to get off this farm, Cat. How are things at the airline?”
Catwalk told him the entire story of Barney’s accident, becoming president of the airline and his downfall at the hands of the board of directors. He admitted he wasn’t sure what the future held for him.
“Those fuckin’ bastards. Good thing I ain’t there. I’d wipe the floor with their faces. Are you serious about quitting?”
“Dead serious, but I want to talk to Barney some more first. I owe him that much.”
“So here we are, two out of work pilots. Why don’t we buy one of the Jennys off Barney and go out barnstorming?”
“Because people aren’t paying to see that anymore. Speaking of barnstorming, Billy Sue is working for the airline. She’s the Vice President of Market Planning.”
“No kidding. Tell her I said hi.”
“I will. I’ll tell her to tell your son hi too.”
A prolonged silence. Then Curly said, “Are you shitting me?”
“No. She brought him to the farm a couple months after you left. His name is David.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She thought you’d be no more interested in raising a child than you were about getting married, and trying to get some help from you would be futile. She’s doing fine by herself.”
“Oh Jesus! I feel terrible that she thought that of me, Cat. I guess she had me pegged right though. I feel like the world’s biggest jerk.”
Catwalk didn’t agree with him because of their time on the road when Curly’s support during some life threatening predicaments had earned him a lifetime of tolerance for his human imperfections. He said, “Curly, you’re not the world’s biggest jerk, but you have your moments. Why don’t you give her a call. Here’s her work number….”
“I can’t give her any money, we’re just scraping by out here.”
“She knows that, but I still think you should call her.”
“I will. Listen, you let me know as soon as you decide what you’re going to do, O.K..”
“Sure thing, Curly.” The call to his old friend had definitely helped Catwalk’s disposition. It hadn’t, however, pushed him any closer to an answer to the question: What was he going to do with his life?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Barney, as Catwalk knew he would, tried to talk him out of resigning. “What are you going to do? You know how hard jobs are to come by. Are you going to go back on the barnstorming circuit?”
“I’ve been thinking about going up to Alaska.”
Barney looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Alaska? What are you going to do up there, besides freeze your tail off?”
“I’ll put in an application with Wein-Alaska Airlines and if I don’t get hired I’ll look for a job flying the bush. From the articles I’ve read, the depression hasn’t had as much impact up there, and their racial attitudes are very liberal.”
Barney said nothing; he couldn’t blame Cat for wanting to get far away. The recent events had turned his stomach and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be associated with the airline anymore, even though he was the founder.
“Well, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, so you’ll make the right decision. Have you told you Mom yet?”
“I wrote her last night and I’m going out there for a few days. I haven’t seen the house since Cecil finished it.”
“I know how she’ll feel and she’ll be immensely proud of you, Cat, because of everything you’ve done, right square in the face of adversity. The undoing was not your fault and she knows that better than anyone. Did you tell her you’re going to Alaska?”
“Not yet because I‘m not sure myself. There’s another pilot from upstate New York that might go up there with me.”
Even after his sudden departure, Barney didn’t dislike Curly, so he was sincere when he asked, “How’s Curly doing?”
“He’s ready to leave the farm. His brothers are running the place again, and they’re beginning to show a profit. Curly’s ready to return to flying.”
“I just hope he doesn’t drink like he used to. That liquor will do a man in faster than anything. Listen, take one of the Jennys. Nobody flies them anymore. If you decide to fly the bush, you might be able to trade it in on a Norseman, or something suitable for that weather.”
“Can I buy it off you?”
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“No. You’ve paid for it ten times over, Cat. Just take it and fly safe.”
Catwalk tendered his resignation, then worked at Rocky Mountain Airways for another two weeks. Prior to his reassignment, he’d been busy making sure the airline conformed to the new Civil Air Regulations that would soon be effective. They’d been given a six month grace period, but he wanted to get it done as soon as possible, and didn’t want to leave it for the incoming president regardless of the circumstances. Among his decisions about his future, he’d also decided he wasn’t burning any bridges and he was leaving his job with as much professional dignity as possible. He was going out, but it would be with his head held high.
Theodore Davis, his replacement, showed up at ten in the morning on his last day. From the moment he walked in the office, Davis made it plain to Catwalk that he didn’t need any help in assuming the position of president of the company. Catwalk saw it for what it was, a white man that was too good to get help from a black man. He didn’t let this bother him, but he felt sorry for the employees of the airline because he knew this was a guy who didn’t give a damn about them. Their working environment would slide steadily downhill.
During their brief conversation, Davis saw the Jenny sitting on the ramp and asked, “Who flies that old relic?”
“I do. Have you ever flown in a Curtis Jenny?”
“No, actually, I don’t fly that much. I guess I’ll have to now.”
“Care to take a spin around the pattern? It’s just like riding in a sports roadster.”
“Sure, why not.”
On the ramp Catwalk said, “You can sit in the rear so you don’t get as much wind in your face.”
Catwalk took off and flew to an area ten miles south of the airport. Then with a wide grin on his face, he went into his acrobatic routine, wrenching the Jenny through the maneuvers with as much ferocity as he could coax out of the plane. By the time he finished the second loop Davis was puking his guts out and screaming for him to stop. Catwalk was laughing so hard that tears filled his eyes.