This is 3-0, 4-0 Whiskey, requesting clearance for take-off!
Joseph's voice sounded as official as any commercial pilot's as they
taxied into position on the short runway. To the left, Maddy saw the tall,
ubiquitous marsh grass swaying in the breeze, and the tower in close
proximity. In front of her, she could see her dad and Ken nodding
affirmatively at each other, arrayed in regulation headsets. She did her best
to focus on the outside world, with its wide open spaces and vividly
colored skies as a means of distracting herself from the extremely
cramped quarters she now found herself inhabiting.
She was about to take a deep breath when Ken turned back to look at
her, offering a reassuring smile and a thumbs-up. Maddy returned the
gesture just as her father got clearance from the tower.
"Ok, thank you!" His voice boomed as he revved up the engines and
ignited the Piper Cub's ascent above the horizon. Amazingly, the little
plane mimicked the identical take-off sensations as a large, lumbering jet,
at least in Maddy's estimation. Incredible amounts of noise were
accompanied by a rush of energy and the subsequent, haunting, free-fall
feeling that always ensued once they were off the ground and it was safe
to cut power.
In a matter of moments, they were soaring high above meticulous
blocks populated with duplexes, colonials and seasonal businesses. Joseph
then directed the plane on an easterly course out over the ocean, leaving
the painted streaks of the sunset behind. Ahead of them, the waters were
dark, but as soon as they made the turn north, the twinkling lights of the
boardwalk and in the distance, the Atlantic City skyline, provided
comforting context.
Not that Ken or Dr. Rose needed any consoling; they were happily
engaged in loud discussions with both the tower and each other. Kenny
observed with fascination as Joseph explained the myriad of controls and
switches, as well as their flight path and typical operational procedures. He
was awed by Joseph's passion for his hobby, and the willingness with
which he shared it with him-a guy who for right now at least, was simply
someone his daughter was currently dating.
The good doctor's hectic schedule had prevented any meaningful
interaction up until this point, save for one family breakfast and a scant
few hours at the beach. And even then, Ken had spent more time with
Maddy's mother and siblings that he had with her father, though he'd
appreciated Joseph's down-to-earth demeanor. He didn't seem to be
affected by his status at all; on the contrary he came across as a pretty
affable man, who also happened to be brilliant and successful. And that
was something to emulate.
"Look, Maddy, casinos ahead!" Joseph called to his daughter, still
struggling to keep her claustrophobia in check, in spite of the fascinating
scenery. Maddy leaned forward and peered out through the front
windshield. Now close ahead, the glittering towers appeared as some
magical kingdom in an enchanted fairytale. Even from high in the air she
recognized their familiar lay-out and characteristics, from the Golden
Nugget to the Tropicana.
"It's really beautiful!" she yelled over the amplified hum of the single
engine.
"You ok?" Kenny asked her, catching her eye.
"Fine!" she called back, as he winked at her again.
She settled back in her seat as she heard her father call to Ken that
they were now going to bank to the left as a prelude to a turnaround that
would lead them on a southern course to Cape May. Maddy always hated
this part of flying; unlike most aerophobia sufferers, she actually liked
landing, mainly because it signified an impending return to the ground.
And if she closed her eyes, she could even deal with take-off reasonably.
But something about making these in-air turns petrified her-and it
certainly wasn't helping that the only thing below them was a deep, black
ocean.
But by the time she recognized the glitzy excess of flashing neon and
endless honky-tonk that defined the Wildwood boardwalk, she
transformed again into a state of fascination. It had been years since she'd
even set foot in this particular Shore town, though as a child and
adolescent she'd visited often as the guests of her two favorite cousins-
Lyle and Daphne, on her dad's side of the family.
The older son of Joseph's now-deceased eldest brother, Lyle, a funloving,
warmhearted guy, had been married to the lovely, generous
Daphne since Maddy was a toddler. Damian, then a child of about six,
had even acted as ring-bearer in their wedding. Having had no sons or
daughters of their own, over the years, Lyle and Daphne had taken great
pleasure in celebrating the milestones of the Rose children-including
graduations, Holy Communions and Confirmations-as well as traditional
holidays like Christmas.
Maddy smiled as she recalled the many Christmas Eves where
Daphne's uncle would dress up as Santa Claus, for the delight of her and
her siblings, and the neighborhood children. They'd all gather around and
take turns sitting on Santa's lap, expressing their fondest wishes before the
bearded one would hand them a present with their name on it-prepared
in advance by Monica Rose, of course. An exceptionally loving mother,
Monica always made sure that all holidays, especially Christmas, were
festive and bright for her kids.
"Hey, Dad, look-The Towers!" Maddy called out, referring to Lyle
and Daphne's boardwalk condo building. As a young teen, she'd spent
countless weekends there as their special guest. Kids at heart themselves,
they'd play with her in the ocean, take her on rides on the pier and
challenge her to miniature golf tournaments at the somewhat difficult
course that was spread out alongside the boardwalk, on the building's
mezzanine level.
Oh, and after a long day of fun, they'd head over to Duffer's where
the best ice cream sundaes at the Shore, if not all of the Delaware Valley,
could be found. Lyle's eyes would light up and he'd playfully rub his
hands together when the waitress presented him with an obscene
concoction of three oversized scoops of varying flavors, hot fudge, wet
walnuts, and a mound of whipped cream topped with a signature cherry.
Maddy laughed out loud at the memory.
"There they are!" Dad affirmed. Actually, the flying bug had also
bitten Lyle and Daphne, who became licensed pilots a few years after
Joseph. Lately though, they hadn't been much into it, mostly due to its
burdensome financial constraints. Still, they joined Joseph for rides on his
plane whenever they could.
Ken looked back and smiled at her again. He loved it whenever
something would incite her natural exuberance; when Madeline felt
passion for anything, it was an irresistible sight to witness. And as she
looked back at him, still in his Randall Cunningham jersey and nice blue
jeans, the headset flattening some of his beautiful blond waves, she
couldn't help but wish it was Friday night, instead of Sunday.
Finally, the little plane entered the skies above Cape May, a beautiful
town noted for its Victorian charm and historic B & B's. Even amid a
now darkened, post-sunrise atmosphere, there was enough illumination
below to perceive the telltale point that extended dramatically into the
water, marking the southernmost boundary of the Garden State.
Though she'd only been in Cape May on a few occasions, the resort
held some interesting memories for Maddy, involving the Coast Guard
base and a young woman she'd once considered her very best friend.
Where Amy was now, and for that matter, whomever she was married to
or shacking up with, was anybody's guess. That was a long, sad story, one
that still both puzzled and angered Maddy, though it had led to an even
closer bond with Amy's parents and younger brother Christian. Oh well,
something good emerges from even the most upsetting situations.
Moments later, Dr. Rose began to maneuver the plane into a descent
pattern, guiding the nose carefully in the direction of the ground. Now on
a northerly course, it would be just minutes before Ocean City's familiar
landscape would emerge from the shadows. Maddy had not only survived,
but actually enjoyed their 30-minute aerial tour, encouraged by her dad
and Ken's free flowing conversation and obvious enjoyment of each
other's company. Perhaps the Degree thing wouldn't be as much of an issue with her
father, who seemed genuinely impressed by his daughter's new guy. That would be sort
of ironic, considering his level of education.
Dr. Rose expertly orchestrated a smooth landing as the wheels
gracefully touched down and then glided across the runway; by the time
he'd parked the plane in its usual spot, the propeller had begun to
decrease in intensity. It would be another couple of minutes, however,
before it would be prudent to exit. Maddy leaned back and closed her
eyes, imagining sitting at the water's edge and staring at an infinite ocean.
Somehow, the claustrophobia lessened when high above the ground; now
that they were back and held captive for safety reasons, she felt the
twinges of anxiety welling within.
She laughed to herself remembering a time a few years back when
she'd rushed out to greet her Dad, Lyle and Daphne, who'd just landed in
the very same spot. It wasn't until she'd gotten perilously close to the stillrotating
propellers that she noticed them waving and yelling furiously for
her to retreat; unknown to her at the time, it was a basic rule of flying that
you never approached a plane whose propellers were still in motion. If,
God forbid, one of them would dislodge from the nose, it could result in
decapitation. That had been one of the few occasions Maddy could recall
any of them being truly angry with her.
At last, she found herself reaching for Ken's outstretched arms as he
assisted her off of the wing and back onto the pavement.
"Wow, that was great, sweetheart!" he enthused, slipping his arm
around her as they all headed back towards the hangar.
"Yeah, it really was beautiful!" she agreed.
The world was so incredibly magical from high altitudes; even the
very ordinary places with which they were intimately acquainted took on
an ethereal quality.
"Glad you enjoyed it, Ken!" Dr. Rose slapped him on the shoulder as
they entered through the glass doors. "Anytime you want to go up, just let
me know. You're welcome to fly with me anytime!"
"Thank you, Doctor," Ken replied appreciatively.
"Ok, kids, I've gotta go file another flight plan back to Chester
County airport. I have a busy day of surgery tomorrow and I don't want
to get back too late. Gotta fuel up the plane, too. You're welcome to wait
and watch me take off if you want." He winked at Maddy, a sure sign of
his affection and genuine desire for a good send-off.
"Sure, Dad, we'll be glad to watch you," she affirmed, taking Ken's
hand and walking back outside, where they sat on a bench facing the
runway.
"You know, your dad is really amazing," he commented. No one
would ever know he's a famous surgeon, he's so humble and easy to talk
to."
"Yes, well both of my parents have always remembered their roots,"
Maddy explained. "I was never taught that we were better than anyone
else just because Dad was a surgeon. As proud as I am to be his daughter,
I've always acknowledged that that was his accomplishment, not mine.
What gave me the right to be a snob based on someone else's hard work?
I was just given the privilege of being born into a stable, loving and
successful family, thanks to the grace of God. It sure wasn't my doing."
"Wow," he responded, amazed.
"What?"
"I've known plenty of people born into similar situations who did
think the world revolved around them, that's all. When I was in high
school, the kids of doctors and dentists walked around with chips on their
shoulders. Not all of them, but most. None of the girls would give a guy
from a working-class family a second look."
"That's too bad," she said. "Actually, because I was so shy in high
school, many kids mistakenly thought I was a snob, you know, a spoiled
rich girl. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but jealousy
causes people to do and say very cruel things. Heck, I even had a nun in
first grade who hated me because my dad was a doctor. She used to
lecture me all the time about the poor kids in West Philly who didn't have
enough to eat. And every time I'd wear a hand-me-down jacket from my
sister Lori that was still in mint condition, she'd comment sarcastically,
'Oh, I see Daddy bought you another jacket!'"
"Oh my God, you're kidding!"
"I wish I were," she sighed. "It got so bad that my mother actually
went down to the school to talk to her. That was after I announced one
day in the car that I wished my dad was a trash collector, because if he
were, maybe Sister Timothy Ann would like me. That was all my mother
needed to hear."
"I'm sure," he said, sympathetically.
"My mom reminded me that my father worked very hard for
everything we had and that was something to be proud of; he wasn't
robbing banks, he was helping people. Just as my grandfather-her dad,
had done as a pharmacist."
"Your mom was right," he agreed. "People don't realize how
fortunate we are to live in a country where you can work your way into
any profession you want; to be able to do and be anything at all is a right
that doesn't exist in most of the world. I've seen that firsthand."
"By the way, thank you for defending that right." Maddy smiled as he
leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"You are most welcome, Madeline Rose."