Rock On Awesome Peeps

The Strange Letter

I haven't checked my mail yet today (and I don't mean e-mail, but actual physical mail), so decide to pay a visit to my mailbox (which is in the main entrance of the building I live in). Besides a local weekly newspaper, there is also a strange envelope. It looks like a normal envelop, but not many people use a printed address label and I don't expect anything. Back to my house, time to open the envelope. There is a handwritten letter in it (strange to have a handwritten letter in an envelope with a printed label). It's a long letter in Dutch (my native language), from a guy that wants to remain anonymous. He has heard about my history of being let go from my job scouting for new musical talent and he wants to offer me some help. He knows a music producer in the US that is trustworthy and he is going to pay him, so I can record the duet between Griffin Tucker and Tanner Massey. He's sending me to the US to get the artists to come along with me. He'll pay for my trip and he's paying for the trip of the artists (and 1 parent to accompany them). There is one twist: I'm not allowed to inform the artists, before actually meeting them. He has made he schedule: I have to pick up Tanner (and dad), then take them to Griffin and pick up Griffin and his mom and fly all of them to the producer. I am allowed to inform the parents I am coming, but not the reason why. And since every trip includes a night staying in Choctaw and a night staying in Texas, I am allowed to arrange a place to sleep. I am not fully convinced it isn't a hoax, but we'll see. It would be great if I could finally record that song. I decide to contact Clayton and tell him the story. He hopes everything is true. I'm welcome to stay at their place if I really come to Choctaw and of course he and Tanner will accompany me on the trip. Next I contact Kimberly. She is just like me on this one. She doesn't trust it at all, but hopes it's true. I'm always welcome at their home and if everything is true, of course she and Griffin will be coming along the trip. And of course Clayton and Tanner are welcome to stay too. That was the easy part. Getting places to stay. Now about really getting there. The next day there was another letter in my mailbox. I had to report to the KLM desk at Schiphol at a specified date and time and my ticket would be there. Hmmm... Guess I'll have to take a chance. In the worst case the only thing I lose is parking costs and fuel costs for my car. I inform Clayton and Kimberly on the date I'm coming and they will be ready for me. So on the specified day I take my suitcase, put it in my car and drive to Schiphol. I arrive on Schiphol and when I go to the KLM desk they are aware of me coming and have my ticket ready in no time. So me going to Choctaw is for real. For the rest of the trip I have to hope something has been arranged for the rest of the trips as well. I check in at the check-in desk, drop off my suitcase and go to security and customs. After that I have some spare time in the lounge (not the VIP lounge, but the normal lounge).

I send a text to Clayton that I've checked in and will actually be coming to Choctaw. The flight was boring (I wasn't bored, I had enough entertainment for the trip), but made it safe and sound to Will Rogers World (Oklahoma Airport). After picking up my suitcase and being cleared by customs, I arrive in the arrivals hall and start looking for Clayton. A barely started looking when I hear: "Hi Remko. Great you're back.". Tanner already spotted me. "Hi Tanner. Great seeing you again." I answer.