Chapter 4

“Can’t afford you...?”Adam said, “What do you mean?”

“Think about what we fly.

“A regular Sandy is right at a million ... the AD2Q is a magnitude more ... there are only five in the world. The Bearcat is in the three to seven million bracket. Shoot ... her SNJ’s are two to five hundred thousand depending. Hers are in the test flight only class. I have 3 Fokker Dr-1s ... she is bulding a Pup. I own, outright, three catamarans ... the smallest is 42 feet ... the big one is 90. I have other boats ... I have built race boats.”

“Oh ... out of my class,” he said. “I see.” He did. Adam went away ... not necessarily disappointed ... but maybe. Unsettled maybe. Looking back he realized he might have lost the most important person he’d ever met ... maybe.

Just maybe.

He’d have to find out. He turned around ... she was still watching him.

Hmmm ... maybe not.

He stopped, turned and looked at us. While I was watching he looked, mentally, like a one legged man at an asskicking or a one armed paper hanger ... or even a man at a ‘make up your mind sign,’ (A tee intersection ... right or left ... make up your mind.)

An anecdotal reference from personal experience 110 miles per hour(177kph) in a showroom fresh Hemi powered Dodge stationwagon and and a Tee intersection ... the driver didn’t make the turn. He did try. I survived. OMWP

Lightbulb moment. I WANTED him to come back. I have no idea what Abby wanted ... but I hoped.

Maybe it was because he looked like my dad, maybe because his name was Adam. I don’t know ... but...

We looked ... like the song... Some Enchanted Evening ... I knew. He was going to be at airshows ... and I would see him again and again.

He seemed to make up his mind ... he took a step in my direction ... and a flock of like aged young men surrounded him and he was gone.

I think I shattered.

“Selene ... Selene ... SELENE!”

“What!”

“You’re crying,” Abby said. “What happened?”

“I think I just found the ONE ... and I lost him.”

“Who?” She cogitated a moment ... going back, in her mind, over the last few people we had met. Her face flushed Lightbulb ... or the sunrise at sea ... at the equator, sunrise is quick. “Adam Williams ... he’s in one of my classes. Let me see...” She cradled an elbow and supported her chin ... thinking. “Veteran, older, our age ... average looking ... Now, Sel ... don’t look at me like that ... he is. Gets good grades, participates.” “What?”

“One of your classes ... in Michigan?”

“Yes.”

“What the hell is he doing here?”

“The MiG 21.”

“He’s a pilot?”