Chapter 18

We took off into space, evading the few satellites we always seemed to come across. If we encountered any small enough space junk, it was a chance to use our Heat-Vision, to blow it to smithereens.

We flew up and up, not looking back and passing by all we had gone to before, past the Thermosphere. We were crying but picking up speed.

I stopped to look back and saw the beautiful place we call home. It was so small—we kept on. The moon was looming at us. That was our destination tonight!

We were still comfortable, neither warm nor cold. We held hands as we started to approach the actual surface of the Moon. We descended and landed outside of where the Apollo 11 astronauts put up the US Flag, on July 20^th, 1969.

I noticed the impression left by our boots. If anybody starts going back to the moon, they would be confused, so we floated back up, and I fixed the flag ... it had been drooping. Together, we flew just looking around.

The whole thing was so incredible. We gave each other a kiss on the dark side of the Moon. I should have brought a camera, to show Mom and Dad. After spending some time there, we felt we should head home.

We looked and found our blue marble and headed for it. Seeing it grow as we approached Earth. What a remarkable feeling comes over you as the blue marble turns into the cloud cover. Breaking through it to find the USA, we were coming into Smallville as we saw an ambulance was pulling up to our place.

We stopped, and Kara broke down crying in my arms, as we floated above the goings on. We saw the EMTs going inside without being in a hurry. That was when we realized our father had died.

I held my sister as we watched the completely covered body being taken inside the ambulance. Kara turned her head against my chest as we sayed above all that was happening.

After they went away, with lights flashing, but no siren, we landed and walked into the house finding Mom in tears. We both hugged her and we all cried together.

At the services held three days later, there was a wonderfully joyous feeling coursing through the crowd. Kara couldn’t bring herself to speak, but I felt a responsibility to Jonathon Kent ... to say a few words.

I walked from between my sister and my mother up to the podium. I cleared my throat and began.

“Hello, everyone—for those who may not know who I am, my name is Kal Clark Kent but those who know me, know me only as Kal. From today on I wish to be known only ... as Clark Kent.”

“Jonathon was a marvelous man—a wonderful man. He was more than just my father ... he was also my friend and my hero! I had always admired him and had a great deal of respect for him. Even though my father spent countless hours working the farm, he made a lot of time for his family. We didn’t always agree. I respected his authority over me often telling me and my sister exactly how it was going to be.”

“He regularly said to me and my sister that the imprint we leave behind us is as important as the steps we make moving forward. Several years ago, my sister and I found out that we were adopted!”

The crowd made a noise ... I saw Kara and Mom react to the crowd’s reaction.

“But he told us that he loved us—as did our mother. They fell in love with us the same way they fell in love with one another almost 50 years earlier. I am proud to be a Kent as is my sister Kara. Her middle name is Linda, after our mother’s mother so when you speak to us, please use the names we have decided to take on.”

“If anyone is interested in buying our farm, we will listen. Do not expect our loss ... to affect our desire to live among you all. Linda and I have school and our mother is not inclined to get up on a tractor anymore.”

I looked over and saw them both holding back a chuckle.

“I love my mother and my sister very much. We weren’t home when our father passed ... we had taken a walk to discuss our future and came to find out that our past ... was coming to an end! Thank you all for coming today.”

I looked up and added, “Dad—we’ll miss you. Don’t boss anyone around up there, or they may just kick you out!”

I left the podium and went back to my ladies.

The Most Reverend Albert O’Hanlon, who was presiding, came to the podium and said, “Thank you ... Clark, those were marvelous memories you recalled. I first met Jonathan when he was baptized in this very church. He was always a god-fearing man. With his death, Smallville has lost ... a very wonderful man.”

The closed casket was placed aboard a hearse and many cars followed it to Smallville Memorial Park, the oldest cemetery in town. Those services were just as wonderful. Mom started extemporaneously singing ‘Amazing Grace.’ The entire crowd joined in together. I took K in my arms, hearing our mother sing so beautifully...

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

And the final verse...

When we’ve been there

ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

Two days later, Linda and I started back to school and everyone was quite kind to us as we prepared to go through our schedule. We started with our Journalism class getting Miss Lindsey as our first teacher of the day. I got there early as usual and she let me give her a hug. She was nice and soft.

“Ka ... Clark, I was there when you spoke. You are indeed a unique young man with a marvelous speaking persona. Was that extemporaneous?”