Fond & Funny Remembrances
Chapter 14
God, it was good to see Dickey again and Denny wished he’d stayed a few more days in Chiang Mai so they could catch up on old times. Perhaps on his return home and that would be great! Their families remained close, exchanging the obligatory Christmas and birthday cards throughout the years. He was surprised Dickey had returned to the fold as a reemployed annuitant or more commonly called a retread or an alpha silverback by the organization’s wags that paid close attention to such silliness.
However, the overseas life could be addictive as he well knew and perhaps that was the reason. Denny sensed there was also a strong imperative in this particular case, maybe an unhealthy one based on what Dickey revealed at lunch the other day. Losing one’s objectivity in this occupation could be dangerous and he hoped for the best outcome for his good friend.
He’d aged some, but was still fit and still had a penchant for wordplay and puns. He was also legendary in the DSS for his outrageous antics that earned him a few, unpaid days of vacation and some sharp slaps on the wrist. Denny smiled as he recalled the story everyone told about him. It took place in Panama when he was the Associate Security Director for Latin America back in the day.
The dictator, General Manuel Noriega, was at the height of his power in Panama, but relations had cooled between the countries due to him cozying up to the Columbian drug cartels that washed obscene amounts of their dirty money through the banks in Panama City.
It was the 4th of July, and a gala event. A lawn party was being held at the ambassador’s residence as proper and customary. Red, white and blue bunting was hung about and the American flag stood proudly at the podium where the ambassador would later deliver a speech. Large tables, covered in white linen, held trays of food and there were three bars with tenders in the backyard attending to the thirsty needs of the guests. All in all, it was an impressive event as befitting the most powerful nation on earth.
The guest list included senior diplomats from all the embassies in town, senior host government officials, and Panamanian notables and, of course, U.S. embassy staffers and their families.
It was just before the seating of the guests for the meal that Dickey made his grand entrance using the back door of the residence and goose-stepping onto the lawn. He was wearing a Panamanian military uniform bedecked with numerous ribbons and medals like he’d seen Noriega wear in newspaper photos. A red sash was affixed across his chest just like His Nibs.
According to the lore, the reactions of the crowd varied from howling laughter to snickering to cries to throw the bum out.
The ambassador ordered Marine Security Guards to escort Dickey off the compound and they did. It seemed Dickey had ended up as a large turd floating in the diplomatic punchbowl.
Ironically, Noriega never showed up at the party, snubbing both the ambassador and the U.S. government. His independence day was still some years off.
There was another one Denny loved where Dickey donned a burka with a face covering to conceal the fact he was a man in order to trail a suspect around Kabul, Afghanistan. And it turned out to be an effective disguise. He chose a blue rather than black one. Those were now the de facto national colors of the bruised and battered country, he’d jokingly mention.
However, he’d taken a lot of ribbing from his bros on that one, but Dickey always had a flair for the dramatic and a knack for dressing up when circumstances demanded. I often wondered how he got into this business rather than going on the stage because he was a natural, mercurial actor who could convincingly play many different roles with equal aplomb. He was a legend among his fellow agents and sometimes in his own mind too.
Denny laughed out loud. He loved him like a brother! He’d sorely miss him very much if anything were to happen to him and prayed to God it didn’t. His latest mission had him worried.