Sojourners of the Sky (6 page)

Seven

D
irk Myers’ bladder could hold out no longer. He smiled at his bride and said, “Wait for me, honey, I’ll be right back.”

Marie nodded with a grin and then sat back for a much-needed breather. She was madly in love with her new husband, but knew inside that if they kept the romantic action up for much longer, things would likely escalate out of control.

There were four small bathrooms on the DC6, two in the forward cabin and two in the rear of the cabin behind first class. Watching briefly as Dirk made his way toward one of the vacant forward lavs, Sonny swung his eyes onto the pretty young woman sitting across the aisle. After leering at her for a full minute, studying every visible detail from head to toe, he was somewhat astonished. The woman looked familiar. He wracked his brain trying to figure out who she was. He knew they’d met before, but couldn’t quite place her. Concluding he had nothing to lose, he asked, “So, are you two newlyweds?”

Marie’s mind only partly heard what the man with the pock-marked face said. She’d noted to herself earlier that the short, stocky man with thick muscular forearms seemed out of place. He had slicked-back dark hair and looked more like a thug than a normal passenger on a Pan Am flight. But because she was feeling slightly out of breath, Marie tilted her head back and patted her chest lightly with her palm. Then, when Marie realized the man across the aisle was actually staring at her, she glanced at Sonny with innocent eyes and asked, “Excuse me? Oh, yes, that’s my husband I’m sitting with.”

The moment the young temptress spoke, his mind clicked. Sonny remembered her.

*

Through the tiny peephole in the cockpit door, Lars spotted Sonny talking to a young woman. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Sonny engaged in small talk. Lars had always believed that his next door neighbor was a loner. He knew that Sonny’s work-life involved meaningless conversations with people he didn’t know, so it was easy to believe that he simply preferred to avoid everyone when he was at home, except for his wife of course. It was a side of the man that Lars had never seen before. Lars found the sight intriguing. He watched, trying to discern what the man was thinking and feeling.

The unwritten guide book for the male species dictates that when a man is homing in on a female all other males are to stay away. Potential murderer or not, Sonny was a man and therefore Lars felt compelled to wait a while longer. He wondered if his neighbor was already moving on with his life. After all, nothing rids the mind of a failed relationship faster than a new one. After taking one more look, Lars turned back toward the cockpit.

*

“The valve guides look good. Just make sure the pushrods are clean and straight,” said Mark in silence. In his mind he could practically hear one of the engines on the right wing getting ready to explode. He wondered why the crew and other passengers weren’t more concerned.

Mark summoned up the courage to briefly look out the window, but did not observe anything out of the ordinary. He could see the engines and part of the wing, as well as the moon reflecting off of the ink-black ocean far below. But an instant later he looked away and closed the curtain, not wishing to consider any of those life-ending possibilities.

His brief glimpse did allow him to notice the bright red and white glow of the exhaust stacks beneath the engines. The exhaust pipes lit up the entire lower part of the engine cowlings, making it appear as if the engines were actually on fire, though he knew better. From his years spent looking under the hood of an automobile, the white-hot exhaust stacks didn’t bother him one bit.

Mark shifted his eyes around the interior of the airplane, looking for something, anything. He knew that any one of the thousands of parts inside each of the four engines could fail at any moment. In his mind he could almost see them thrashing around, heating up and slowly starting to crack. “It would be best if we replaced the oil pump while we’re in here,” he said to himself softly, with his eyes once again sealed shut.

*

Liesel squeezed past the three men in the aft part of the cockpit, all of whom seemed oblivious to everyone else around them. Without hesitation, she walked to the front of the cockpit and plopped herself down on John Tacker’s lap. “So, captain, do you want to teach me how to fly?” she asked.

For some reason, whether it was because John was the acting captain, or perhaps due to the fact that the ice had been broken, the senior copilot suddenly felt more comfortable in Liesel’s presence. It was a remarkable transformation that even he noticed. John’s feelings of ease were welcome, and yet quite unexpected.

“Hi, Liesel, I’m glad you stopped by. Right now the autopilot is flying, and it seems to be doing a rather good job of it. When it tires, I’ll let you get some stick time,” he said with a huge grin.

“If that’s the way you want it, Mr. Tacker,” replied Liesel. “I’ll be looking forward to getting a little stick time.”

Hearing the gorgeous stewardess’s comment caused Asa to nearly choke on his coffee. He laughed for a brief second, but then turned and looked away.

John smiled at Liesel’s double entendre and his copilot’s reaction to hearing it, but was himself too choked up to reply.

“Oh, you boys just relax,” said Liesel as she glanced around the cockpit. “John, is now a good time or would you prefer if I came back later?”

“Every second that you are near is perfect for me,” answered John, after a momentary pause to gather his thoughts.

“Good. I was hoping to finish our conversation from before,” she said.

“Oh, that sounds splendid.”

He was about to launch into the story when Sue walked into the cockpit. Suddenly all of the men, except for Charles who could be heard snoring, stopped what they were doing.

“Hello, Miss Gruber. I see that you’ve brought your two lovely friends for a visit,” observed G.R. with a sly grin.

“Why yes, G.R., I have. Things are rather quiet in the back so I thought I’d come up and see if you fellas needed anything,” she said.

Sue could have easily been a model. She had a voluptuous, Barbie doll figure that was topped off with long brown hair. She breezed through college and promptly got accepted into medical school. Sue almost made it through her first year before excessive harassment from the opposite sex forced her to quit. Brilliant or not, Sue was forced to conclude that people of the mid-nineteen fifties were simply not ready to accept a female orthopedist. Smarting from the rejection, she reluctantly decided to choose a more acceptable occupation for a female. Being a stewardess was glamorous and provided her an opportunity to see the world.

Though Sue was as smart as a whip, to survive in her new career she allowed all those around her to believe that she was all looks. She kept her sharp mind hidden, unless it was needed to repel any unwelcome advances. Luckily, one of her most powerful assets in the carnal world was a smile that would cause men to melt in their shoes.

“We have one bunk open,” joked G.R. “No waiting.”

“That’s very funny,” said Sue with a slight, yet playful sneer. Then with all eyes upon her, she grabbed the top of her blouse with both hands, pulled it a few inches from her body and gazed down into the opening. Pausing a moment for effect, she asked, “What do you girls think?” She then nodded her head while gently shaking her upper body.

Each man present watched in wide-eyed wonderment and with jaws agape. The scene proved quite stimulating for them all.

Sue released her blouse, stood erect, and added, “Sorry, G.R., but my friends don’t think very much of your offer. They are insulted that you think a woman’s worth is to be found on her chest.”

“Now hold on there,” said G.R. “I think you have exquisite legs, too.”

“Well, that makes all the difference in the world,” joked Sue.

“It’s good that we see eye to eye,” noted G.R.

“I hate to hurt your feelings, G.R., but I’m holding out for a much younger man. You oldsters don’t have the stamina,” replied Sue, tapping G.R. on the head like a puppy.

Everyone, including Asa, who practically wrenched his neck to see the show, laughed heartily. The laughter was loud enough to cause Charles to stir in his sleep, causing everyone to resume speaking with quiet voices.

Asa quickly turned around and scanned his instruments. Being the youngest in the group and new to the airline business, he didn’t fully understand the sometimes flirty nature of pilot and stewardess conversations. Their bluntness incorrectly led him to believe that all of the girls could be his for the asking. That is, if he ever bothered to ask. But Asa wasn’t attracted to women who were as forward as some of the stewardesses, so he’d decided early-on to keep his distance. He didn’t realize their conversations, often laced with sexual overtones, were simply a way to have fun and ease the tension of being far from home.

Asa turned up the volume on the number one radio and listened to the other airplanes communicating with Gander Control in his earphones. His heart belonged to a college girl back home and he had no intention of putting that in jeopardy.

When she first entered the cockpit, Sue had planned to sit on Asa’s lap and give him the business. But knowing how shy he was, and after watching how he’d turned abruptly, retreating into his own world, she decided to leave the young man alone. “Do you boys want anything from the galley?” she asked.

“Thanks, but I think I’m going to wait until breakfast,” replied Ed, as he stood to observe the stars once again.

“Last chance, Sue. I’m about to take my nap,” suggested G.R. “and those bunks can get mighty chilly.”

“G.R., I’d say you could use a little chilly air right about now,” said Sue.

“I love working with you, Sue. Do you know that?” he said.

“I love working with you, too, G.R. It’s a shame that you’re not thirty years younger.”

“Then I’d be younger than yo…,” said G.R. before stopping himself. “Then I’d be out of your league,” he added, pleased with his quick thinking.

“OK, boys, call me if you need me,” said Sue as she glided elegantly from the cockpit.

The moment things returned to normal, Lars looked at the senior engineer and said, “Sonny was involved with a woman earlier so I left him alone. Do you think I should go back again?”

“Lars,” said G.R. “if he’s not asking her for a date, then by all means try again. Maybe she softened him up.”

The engineer’s words made sense. Lars thought about it for a few more seconds and decided to give it another try. As he stood to leave, G.R. added, “And be quick about it. I’m ready for my nap.”

*

“As you were saying,” said Liesel in a soft voice.

“The love of my life, long before I met you, of course, was a girl named Lynn Helms. I mentioned her earlier. She’s the girl from high school who was not only gorgeous, though not as gorgeous as you, but she was also super-smart. Whenever we were together I had to be on my toes. She was on the debating team and could beat the pants off half the teachers,” said John. “Anyway…”

Eight

“L
unch is ready for those of you who can tear yourself away from this airplane,” announced Lynn Pratt, Bill’s wife of many years.

“What are we having, Grandma?” asked Jack.

“It’s a surprise,” she replied.

“Grandpa,” said Lucy, “your neighbor is staring at us again.”

Instantly, the small group turned to gaze across the cow pasture at the shadowy figure standing inside his home, looking out his bedroom window and wearing no sign of a smile.

John Tacker never wanted Bill Pratt to move in next door. He despised everything about the man. Who the little crumb-snatchers were that had suddenly taken up residence didn’t much matter. But it did matter that the trio was spending nearly every waking hour of the day working on an old airplane. John knew that nothing good would come of it. Fighting his apprehension, he knew that the time had come to put his foot down.

Lynn smiled and waved when she saw John standing in the window. A moment later, she watched as her reluctant neighbor ducked back into the shadows.

“He gives me the creeps,” said Lucy.

“He’s harmless, dear. Don’t pay him any mind,” replied Bill.

“What’s the deal with him anyways?” asked Jack.

“Let’s go have lunch and I’ll tell you,” said Bill.

The group put down their tools and, with the exception of Jack, eagerly made their way to the house. Jack trailed the group, constantly turning to look over his shoulder, wondering if the weirdo next door was still spying on them.

After momentarily closing his eyes and silently saying grace, Bill quickly shifted his eyes toward his wife, hoping for some guidance. He knew it was a story she didn’t want to hear. But when she turned away, showing no sign of emotion, he took it as a sign to proceed.

“When John and I were kids, we were the best of friends. We did everything together. One hot summer afternoon a barnstormer appeared in the sky out of nowhere. He zoomed in low over our heads and then nearly hit a grain silo. His engine was racing and smoke was billowing from the bottom of his airplane. He pulled up and then disappeared behind some trees. The two of us ran as fast as we could because we thought the pilot was in trouble. It looked like a crash was imminent.”

“What’s ‘imminent’ mean, Grandpa?” asked Jack.

“It means something is about to happen,” answered Bill. “Anyway, just when it looked like he was about to crash, the smoke stopped and he pulled the airplane straight up. For the next ten minutes we stood there watching this daredevil pilot execute all manner of loop-de-loops and rolls. I have to tell you, our jaws were hanging wide-open as we watched that fearless man with a leather cap on his head, defy both gravity and death. We were awestruck. It was the first time either of us had ever seen a real airplane. It was simply breathtaking. When the show was over, he landed in a field just outside of town. The two of us ran over and proceeded to pester him with question after question. The entire time we talked, both John and I gently rubbed our hands over his wood and cloth biplane. We didn’t realize it just then, but seeing that small yellow airplane perform incredible aerial stunts before our eyes was all it took to plant the aviation seed inside of us.”

“But, Grandpa, wasn’t your dad a pilot?” asked Jack.

“Yes, he certainly was,” replied Bill. “My dad was a pilot for Pan Am, but he rarely spoke about his job when he was at home. I knew my dad enjoyed flying, but I think he preferred to keep his two lives separate. Before that barnstormer flew into town, I never thought much about what my dad did for a living. And I’m quite sure John Tacker never had any reason to give airplanes any more than a passing thought. Yup, that tiny canary-colored airplane with two wings, flying freely above the Earth, ignited a passion in us both, that’s for sure.

We ran home that day, hoping to get the two dollars it would take to ensure a ride in the man’s contraption the following morning. But it was the waning days of the Depression and money was still pretty scarce. We both had a small stash of coins under our beds, but it wasn’t enough. We put what we had together, along with what little we could pry from our parents, who by the way had no idea what it was going to be used for, but still came up thirty cents short.

We showed up the next day prepared to do our best begging. The pilot smiled and chuckled as we took turns wearing him down. We weren’t sure if we were making any headway because he just sat there the entire time tinkering with his machine. I’ll never forget looking into his squinting eyes, wondering what made him tick. He was a man of the skies: a Sky God. Well, a god with oil stains on his face and a big bushy mustache.

Our ride through the crystal clear skies lasted for only a few minutes. Sitting together in the forward cockpit, both John and I hung on for dear life. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much of it anymore. But I can tell you that I was both thrilled by the experience and scared to death.”

“You were afraid, Grandpa? Of what?” asked Jack.

“Well, I was terrified that I might fall out. Anyway, after that, John and I began building, flying and trading airplane models. We read trade magazines and discussed the stories we’d read. We both began socking away a chunk of our weekly allowance to pay for flying lessons, and kept an accounting of how much we had versus what we would need. It was an exciting and magical time for us. Of course, neither of us knew that our dream of flying airplanes would not come to pass for many years.”

“But, Grandpa, what made him go crazy?” asked Lucy.

Lucy’s words brought an unexpected chuckle from Lynn. The other three instantly looked up after hearing her response, but she put her head back down and continued eating without an explanation.

“Back then,” Bill continued, “John Tacker was into almost every sport. His bookwork always came second, especially if any of us were outside putting together a game of football. His folks rarely said anything because John was as smart as they come. You probably noticed how tall he is. Well, being taller than most, coupled with his ability to read something and remember it forever, would have spelled doom for most kids in public school. But John’s abilities as a football, baseball and tennis player made him more of the kind of guy everyone wanted to be associated with.

John’s high school years were pretty much the kind everyone wished they’d had. He was the starting quarterback in both his junior and senior years. He was also the baseball team’s starting pitcher. The one thing that he did not excel at, however, was an ability to hide his ego. But in spite of his often overflowing sense of self-esteem, John had such a warm and friendly demeanor, practically everyone wanted to be his friend. It was a situation that allowed him to pick and choose who would be among the chosen. Nearly all the other kids hung on his every word, and he loved it. And knowing that everyone wanted to be near him was like a drug: fueling him, driving him, inflating him.

When we were seniors in high school, John was on top of the world. It went without saying that he could have pretty much dated any girl he wanted. But I think in an odd way that turned him off. The only girl who truly caught his eye was the one who treated him as though he was just another guy.”

Bill’s sudden pause caused his two grandchildren to look up. Bill exchanged glances with his wife, but said nothing; allowing the silence to hang heavy in the air.

“Well?” asked Lucy. “Who was she?”

“Yeah, come on, Grandpa, spill your guts,” ordered Jack.

“You’re looking at her,” said Bill with a smile.