Chapter 50

While they were waiting in the Red Carpet Club to board their United Airlines flight to Hawaii the next morning, Ken looked at Cathy with a sheepish expression on his face. She leaned over and kissed him softly saying, "I think it's wonderful, darling."

"Wonderful?" he asked, showing his surprise. "What's wonderful?"

"You being selected to play in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu next week," she replied calmly.

His jaw dropped and he just shook his head. "But ... But how could you possibly know that?" he asked. "Coach Ditka only asked me yesterday morning."

"I know, dear," she said, smiling sweetly, "But he asked me the night before if it would be all right for him to invite you. He was so sweet! He knew we were going to be on Maui on our honeymoon.

"When he called, he congratulated me, talked about the Super Bowl, and then the television interview with Bob Costas. Finally I said I would love to see you play in the Pro Bowl. He asked how I knew it was the reason for his call. I told him what other reason could there be, knowing that as coach of the Super Bowl team he would be coaching the NFC team in the Pro Bowl.

"Of course, I'd like it better if you were All Pro, instead of just playing in the Pro Bowl."

She smiled and shook her head. "It's funny, I guess. That has to be the only football game of the year that everyone wants to be picked for, but no one wants to actually play in."

"Catherine Bradley, you're too much!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"No, I'm not," she replied with a cute grin. "I'm not very much at all. If I were, your balls would be drained dry by now and they're not nearly." Her grin changed to a look of incredible love as she added, "I love you so very much, my husband!"

He just kissed her softly and held her tight.

They were wrapped in each other's arms, utterly oblivious to the looks directed their way by the other passengers in the clubroom, when they heard someone standing nearby clearing his throat. When Ken released Cathy and looked up, his eyes were still glazed.

He found that a ramp supervisor was standing there and said he had been asked to escort them out to their aircraft. Ken raised an eyebrow, but then extended his hands to help Cathy to her feet. As he did he was amused thinking that his wife had less need of help to do anything than any female alive. Nevertheless, she smiled gratefully as he did.

Virginia Adams, the senior flight attendant on the United 747 flight, nonstop from Chicago to Honolulu, was reviewing the passenger manifest. She paid particular attention to a Special VIP notation on two first-class passengers, Mr. & Mrs. K. Bradley. Noting the seat assignments, she quickly checked to make sure the reclining mechanism on each seat worked correctly and checked the seatback pockets and the area around the seats to be sure it was as clean as possible.

Returning to the doorway, she was in time to greet the Bradleys as they were escorted down the jetway by the ramp supervisor. As they came towards her, she was pleased that she had done the last-minute checking. Obviously, the Bradleys were important people.

They came on board the aircraft and the supervisor said, "Mrs. Adams, I would like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Bradley. They will be with you on the flight out to Hawaii today."

Cathy saw the woman's jaw drop. She said, "But you ... you're ... you're Cathy Collins, aren't you?"

"That was yesterday," Cathy said with a warm smile as she extended her hand. Today I'm Mrs. Kenneth Jackson Bradley, and I couldn't be happier."

Ginny Adams had looked over the entertainment that was being offered in flight that day. Often, during the football season the feature film is preceded by a short film reviewing NFL highlights of the previous week's games. She knew the film they were carrying had Super Bowl highlights, but also included an interview done by Bob Costas. It was a part of his pre-game show expanded with additional footage that had not been available when the pre-Super Bowl show aired. She shook hands with the Bradleys and showed them to their seats.

Before leaving to return to her position at the door she asked diffidently, "Mrs. Bradley, there's a film we're showing today that you might be interested in. Would ... Could I announce that you and Mr. Bradley are on this flight? I know that you're considered very important to the airline, but..."

Cathy smiled warmly. "Of course you can," she replied, "but I don't know why on earth you would want to. There's one condition, though. The name is Cathy, and my husband's name is Ken. If you feel you have to make an announcement, it's Ken and Cathy Bradley. Okay?"

Ginny Adams grinned and quickly agreed.

After taking off from O'Hare International Airport, the giant plane was climbing towards its cruising altitude. Ginny had already spoken to the plane's captain and received his permission to change the film schedule slightly. Before takeoff she ran the usual video tape covering seat belts and emergency exits. The entertainment tape with the NFL game as its leader normally followed the meal service.

Today, though, as soon as the plane's wheels were up, she activated the cabin PA system and announced that they would be showing highlights of the Super Bowl. Further, she said that they were fortunate to have with them one of the stars of the champion Chicago Bears, Ken Bradley, and his wife of just one day, Cathy Collins Bradley. She concluded her remarks by saying, "This will mean more to you after you see this tape."

The cabin was darkened and the tape began to roll. Cathy's mouth formed an "O" when she saw that the film was prefaced by Bob Costas. He talked about the game — now history — and commented that they now knew something they had not fully appreciated at the time: the importance to the Chicago Bears of the weekly touch football games against the women.

Then he showed what he called "the greatest single play in the history of football," Cathy's catch off Ken's fingertips. There was also the shot showing Sue's passing technique compared to Mike's and to the top passers in the history of football, as well as comparisons of style and speed in getting the kick away between Cathy and both place-kickers and punters.

Finally, there was a shot Cathy had never seen before.

Costas said, "I want you to watch this play carefully. It's a routine play from late in the game. Cathy Collins is lined up as a flanker. Now she appears to be tired. A defensive back would conclude, 'It's late in the game, she's a decoy on the play, but she's too tired, too cold and too wet even to go through the motions.' Now you see her almost jog down the field for a few steps.

"Now watch: It looks like she kicked in the afterburner right here and blows right by Ken Bradley. She takes another pass right on her fingertips and flies in for a touchdown. Nice play, right?"

Now the camera was on Costas as the play faded off the screen. Answering his own rhetorical question, he said, "Wrong! You see, on the girls' prior play from scrimmage, you'll see her block Ken Bradley and spring April Jefferson for a touchdown. You see him accidentally kick her in the ribs and you can see her wince as he helps her to her feet. He cracked one of her ribs on the play. She scored that last touchdown — running with world-class speed — while playing with a cracked rib!"

Again, the game film faded from the screen leaving Costas alone on camera. He shook his head and said, "That's why the Bears killed the Raiders. Not only were the Raiders relatively easy after playing those women — no one plays with the intensity that they do. They're strictly amateurs. I should say that they're playing for the love of the game.

"I know better, though. They're playing for the love of the people they're playing against. For example, Cathy Collins will probably be married to Ken Bradley by the time you see this tape. Cathy and Ken: May you be blessed with children who have just a small fraction of the brains, ability, and courage you two display. Congratulations!"

The tape ended and the cabin lights came up. Ginny Adams said, "Now you all see what I was talking about. Cathy and Ken, on behalf of United Airlines and all of its people, I would like to second the comments Bob Costas just made. We wish you a long and happy life together. And, please, another Super Bowl for the Bears next year!"

She paused and said, "I guess I should apologize to any Raiders fans onboard. If I forgot to mention it before, this is a Chicago-based flight crew!"

Ken just hugged Cathy and kissed her warmly. Drinks had just been served in first class when Ginny Adams came to their seats. Cathy looked up at her and said, "The answer is yes, Mrs. Adams. Now what's the question?"

Ginny reddened and said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Bradley..."

"It's Cathy, remember?" Cathy reminded her.

The woman grinned and said, "Cathy, there's a girl in the back we're flying out to Hawaii. Have you ever heard of the organization that tries to fulfil the last wish of dying children? Well, she's one of them. She's a fourteen-year-old girl named Kristin Crowley.

"The doctors give her less than three months to live. They don't know exactly what's wrong, but the poor kid is wasting away. Although she's five feet seven, she can't weigh even 80 pounds. She indicated she wanted to see Hawaii, so the organization is paying for her trip as her final wish. She asked if she could meet you. Would you permit it?" she asked with a warm smile. "I think it would mean a lot to her."

Cathy squeezed Ken's hand and said, "Of course! My God, the poor thing. Can you imagine not even being fifteen years old and finding out that your life is over? Is there anything else we could do for her? Anything at all?"

Ginny Adams just shook her head slowly. "Bob Costas really got it right, didn't he?" she said. "You really are very special! I want you to know that we consider it a real privilege to have you with us today. As far as doing something for Kristin, maybe you could give her an autograph or something?"

Cathy and Ken just nodded and Ginny went back for the girl.

The first time Cathy glimpsed Kristin Crowley her stomach turned over. The poor girl was a walking skeleton. She was wearing a nondescript sweater and skirt but they looked like they were hanging on a scarecrow made from only a few sticks. Ginny brought her to the seats — Ken was sitting on the aisle while Cathy had the window — and Cathy leaned across Ken with her hand outstretched. The girl took it in her own and Cathy cringed, realizing it was like shaking hands with a skeleton. All she could feel was bone. There seemed to be no flesh on her hand at all; there was only bone covered with skin.

The girl's hair was blonde or brown but whatever its color, it just hung limp and lifeless around her shoulders, while her skin had the gray pallor of death. Then Cathy saw the girl's eyes. They were the most incredible blue Cathy had ever seen. Now set deep in their skeletal sockets, they were so dark, they were almost a royal purple. The other feature was that there was fire blazing behind them.

After they had shaken hands, Ginny said, "Mrs. Bradley, this is Kristin Crowley. She says she has become a fan of yours since she saw the Super Bowl last week." Having made the introduction, she was standing behind the girl and indicated in pantomime that she wanted to speak to Cathy.

"Before you get too comfortable, Kristin, would you let me out of here for a moment? Why don't you sit in my seat and look out the window? We're flying over some interesting cloud formations." She climbed out of the seat and Kristin took her place.

She walked toward the first-class lavatories and then let Ginny catch up to her when they were out of the girl's earshot. She looked at the woman attentively and waited.

"Cathy, I don't know what to say. Did you notice her eyes? They're the only part of her that even looks alive. Did you see it?"

"Indeed I did," Cathy replied. "There's a fire that's still burning inside. That girl is trying to make it still!" Tears came to her eyes as she said it.

Then she saw that Ginny was shaking her head. "That's exactly it, Cathy! When she boarded the flight her eyes were at least as dead as the rest of her. When she saw the tape, she started to show some life, but she was still out of it when I asked if she might like to meet you. That's when the fire appeared.

"What should we do, do you suppose?"

"The center-section aisle seat is free," Cathy noted. She reached in her purse and took out her checkbook. "What's the fare difference between what she's paying and first class? I'll give you a check and she can ride in Ken's seat. He can take the seat across the aisle. How does that sound?"

The attendant shook her head and said, "It sounds like Cathy Collins, is what it sounds like. The fact is that Kristin is flying free. United is covering it." She smiled and added, "And since it's kind of hard to board additional passengers while we're cruising at 41,000 feet on a nonstop flight, it's safe to say that the aisle seat will stay empty for this trip. It will go as an involuntary upgrade to first class."

She extended her hand and said, "Cathy, this has been a real pleasure. You're certainly a wonderful human being!" Then her face showed concern and she asked, "But what about you? How's your rib? You certainly don't act injured."

"I guess I'm quick to heal," she replied with a grin. "I survived my wedding night and the loss of my virginity without a qualm, so I guess it's fine now. But thank you for asking."

"You were a virgin until last night?" Ginny exclaimed. "My God! I guess I didn't know the half of it. Let's play it by ear, shall we?"

When she returned to her seat she quickly whispered to Ken what she had in mind. He did her one better. To Kristin's surprise, Ken picked her up, sat down in the window seat and placed her across his lap. She was surprised, but then instantly very pleased. In spite of her condition, she actually looked happy.

"There's a parking charge for sitting on my lap, though, Kris," he said. "Do people call you Kris, by the way, or do you prefer something else.

The girl positively beamed. Again, though, Cathy cringed because the girl's smile was so akin to a skeleton's. Then she said in a beautifully modulated soft voice, "They don't, Mr. Bradley, but it really sounds neat. Please do call me Kris. But what's the parking charge?"

"It's a kiss," he replied. "But you better be careful and not make it too good. We only got married yesterday and I think Cathy could get pretty jealous."

The girl smiled. It was the first genuinely happy smile they had seen. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. Then she pulled away saying, "I guess I had better try to put on some weight in a hurry. Kissing me must be like kissing a skeleton!"

In spite of the truth in her words, Ken had sensed real love in her childish kiss. Then she said, "Could ... Would it be possible for me to get Mrs. Bradley's autograph, though, before I have to go back to my seat?"