said she has the fondest memories
of you especially. That you were always wonderful to her—generous, warm, uncritical—and
that she wants me to give you a big hug and kiss from her.” “I don’t want a hug from
her. I don’t know her, I don’t remember her, and I don’t trust her. Now, if Carolyn
wants you to give me a hug and kiss from her, that I’ll accept.”
FLYING
She was fooling around with the plane’s door handle. I said “Don’t touch that, sweetheart,
you never know what can happen.” Suddenly the door disappeared and she flew out and
I yelled “Judith” and saw her looking terrified at me as she was being carried away.
I jumped out after her, smiled and held out my arms like wings and yelled “Fly like
a bird, my darling, try flying like a bird.” She put out her arms, started flying
like me and smiled. I flew nearer to her and when she was close enough I pulled her
to my body and said “It’s not so bad flying like this, is it? It’s fun. You hold out
one arm and I’ll hold out one of mine and we’ll see where we can get to.” She said
“Daddy, you shouldn’t have gone after me, you know that,” and I said “I wouldn’t let
you out here all alone. Don’t worry, we’ll be okay if we keep flying like this and,
once we’re over land, get ourselves closer and closer to the ground.”
The plane by now couldn’t be seen. Others could, going different ways, but none seemed
to alter their routes for us no matter how much waving I did. It was a clear day,
blue sky, no clouds, the sun moving very fast. She said “What’s that?” pointing down
and I said “Keep your arm up, we have to continue flying.” She said “I am, but what’s
that?” and I said “Looks like a ship but it’s probably an illusion.” “What’s an illusion?”
and I said “What a time for word lessons; save them for when we get home. For now
just enjoy the flying and hope for no sudden air currents’ shifts.” My other arm held
her tightly and I pressed my face into hers. We flew like that, cheek to cheek, our
arms out but not moving. I was worried because I hadn’t yet come up with any idea
to help us make a safe landing. How do we descend, how do we land smoothly or crash-land
without breaking our legs? I’ll hold her legs up and just break mine if it has to
come to that. She said “I love you, Daddy, I both like you and love you and always
will. I’m never going to get married and move away from home.” I said “Oh well, one
day you might, not that I’ll ever really want you to. And me too to you, sweetie,
with all that love. I’m glad we’re together like this. A little secret though. For
the quickest moment in the plane I thought I wouldn’t jump out after you, that something
would hold me back. Now nothing could make me happier than what I did.”
We left the ocean and we were over cliffs and then the wind shifted and we were being
carried north along the coast. We’d been up at almost the same distance from water
and land for a long time and I still had no idea how to get down. Then along the coastal
road I saw my wife driving our car. Daniel was in the front seat, his hand sticking
out the window to feel the breeze. The plane must have reported in about the two people
sucked out of the plane, and when Sylvia heard about it she immediately got in the
car and started looking for us, thinking I’d be able to take care of things in the
air and that the wind would carry us east.
“Look at them, sweetheart, Mommy and Daniel. He should stick his arm in; what he’s
doing is dangerous.” She said “There aren’t any other cars around, so it can’t hurt
him.” “But it should be a rule he always observes, just in case he forgets and sticks
it out on a crowded highway. And a car could suddenly come the other way. People drive
like maniacs on these deserted roads and if one got too close to him his arm
of you especially. That you were always wonderful to her—generous, warm, uncritical—and
that she wants me to give you a big hug and kiss from her.” “I don’t want a hug from
her. I don’t know her, I don’t remember her, and I don’t trust her. Now, if Carolyn
wants you to give me a hug and kiss from her, that I’ll accept.”
FLYING
She was fooling around with the plane’s door handle. I said “Don’t touch that, sweetheart,
you never know what can happen.” Suddenly the door disappeared and she flew out and
I yelled “Judith” and saw her looking terrified at me as she was being carried away.
I jumped out after her, smiled and held out my arms like wings and yelled “Fly like
a bird, my darling, try flying like a bird.” She put out her arms, started flying
like me and smiled. I flew nearer to her and when she was close enough I pulled her
to my body and said “It’s not so bad flying like this, is it? It’s fun. You hold out
one arm and I’ll hold out one of mine and we’ll see where we can get to.” She said
“Daddy, you shouldn’t have gone after me, you know that,” and I said “I wouldn’t let
you out here all alone. Don’t worry, we’ll be okay if we keep flying like this and,
once we’re over land, get ourselves closer and closer to the ground.”
The plane by now couldn’t be seen. Others could, going different ways, but none seemed
to alter their routes for us no matter how much waving I did. It was a clear day,
blue sky, no clouds, the sun moving very fast. She said “What’s that?” pointing down
and I said “Keep your arm up, we have to continue flying.” She said “I am, but what’s
that?” and I said “Looks like a ship but it’s probably an illusion.” “What’s an illusion?”
and I said “What a time for word lessons; save them for when we get home. For now
just enjoy the flying and hope for no sudden air currents’ shifts.” My other arm held
her tightly and I pressed my face into hers. We flew like that, cheek to cheek, our
arms out but not moving. I was worried because I hadn’t yet come up with any idea
to help us make a safe landing. How do we descend, how do we land smoothly or crash-land
without breaking our legs? I’ll hold her legs up and just break mine if it has to
come to that. She said “I love you, Daddy, I both like you and love you and always
will. I’m never going to get married and move away from home.” I said “Oh well, one
day you might, not that I’ll ever really want you to. And me too to you, sweetie,
with all that love. I’m glad we’re together like this. A little secret though. For
the quickest moment in the plane I thought I wouldn’t jump out after you, that something
would hold me back. Now nothing could make me happier than what I did.”
We left the ocean and we were over cliffs and then the wind shifted and we were being
carried north along the coast. We’d been up at almost the same distance from water
and land for a long time and I still had no idea how to get down. Then along the coastal
road I saw my wife driving our car. Daniel was in the front seat, his hand sticking
out the window to feel the breeze. The plane must have reported in about the two people
sucked out of the plane, and when Sylvia heard about it she immediately got in the
car and started looking for us, thinking I’d be able to take care of things in the
air and that the wind would carry us east.
“Look at them, sweetheart, Mommy and Daniel. He should stick his arm in; what he’s
doing is dangerous.” She said “There aren’t any other cars around, so it can’t hurt
him.” “But it should be a rule he always observes, just in case he forgets and sticks
it out on a crowded highway. And a car could suddenly come the other way. People drive
like maniacs on these deserted roads and if one got too close to him his arm
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