then and there, that he would never get enough of this feeling.
He finally regained all his senses and looked over at his friend. Jack was already getting comfortable. His legs were extended in front of him. He rested his head on his interlocking arms. Just the hint of a smile remained on his face. Em started to say something but suddenly changed his mind. Instead, he emulated his friend and tried to relax. As unlikely as he assumed it would be, he became amazingly comfortable.
As he closed his eyes, he became aware of the flying sensation again. He imagined what it would be like to spread his own wings and fly. He imagined he was soaring over his family’s farm. He could see both of their barns on the north ridge with several of the cattle gathered near them. He saw the ponds, which his grandfather and great uncles had dug with shovels.
As he soared higher and higher, he looked toward his parents’ home. There in the backyard was his mother. She had a basket of laundry resting on her hip. She was hanging clothes on the line. His father was in the garden with a hoe. The weeds were visible, even from his lofty height. He spread his wings and soared up and up. He turned once again and raced toward the small ridge that ended at the northeast corner of the farm. The end of the ridge was visible in the sunlight. He dove toward the edge of the hill where he wanted to build his own home. He accelerated toward the end of the hill, diving low to the ground. The ground approached at an alarming speed. He went even faster, and as he flew over the crest of the hill, he was once again at least two hundred feet above the ground. The hill was steep. As he flew over the edge, it was as if he had just flown off a cliff. He looked down at the creek that ran through the farm. There, where the water pooled, stood Sugar. Her shimmering brown coat reflected the sun’s light. She was alone, and Em dove toward her. He skimmed the treetops as he approached her. The feeling was magnificent.
He looked back up to the top of the hill, and there, standing alone, silhouetted by the sun, was Irene. She was dressed as always in the white dress. He flapped his wings that were now part of him. He began to ascend the hill. Her beauty grew with each flap of his wings. He kept getting closer, but somehow, he could not quite reach her. He could see her as if he was mere feet from her, but she never saw him. She was looking toward the sun, toward the west.
He wondered if she was really there. He wondered if he was really there. He looked at her again and saw her eyes. She was crying. He wanted, more than anything, to tell her he loved her and that he would be home soon. He wanted to reassure her everything was going to be all right. Somehow, he knew that he would not be able to. He felt his wings lift him into the air. He looked back down and saw Irene. In the distance, he heard the sound of the plane’s engine as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
As soon as he awoke, he could not imagine ever sleeping while that roar was in his ears. As he opened his eyes, it was overwhelming. The noise seemed as if it were even louder. He felt his ears to be sure the plugs were still in place. As he squeezed one of them, to be sure it was doing its job, he instantly became aware that indeed it was functioning properly. The roar he heard when he wiggled the earplug assured him that removing them was not an option. He looked at his feet and realized that he could not feel them. Simultaneously, his feet started to tingle. This reminded him of just how exhausted he had been. How long had he been asleep? Were they near Alaska yet? As he stretched his arms, the feeling returned to his feet.
He scanned the interior of the plane once again. If it were not for noise and the vibration, it really felt as if he was in some sort of warehouse. The mountainous piles of machinery looked as if they did not belong on the inside of an airplane. Em wondered if all this stuff was going to Hawaii or if it was for the troops who were in Alaska. He could not imagine using these jeeps in Alaska. The jeeps were surely going to the troops in the Pacific realm.
He looked at Jack, who was sound asleep and snoring. Em could not really hear the actual snores, but each breath that Jack took made his lips vibrate.
Suddenly, the plane lurched. It seemed as if they were falling out of the sky. Jack awoke, startled. He grabbed the metal bar that held their seats to the floor. His eyes were wide with what could only be fear. He screamed, “What’s going on?”
Em could only shrug his shoulders. He assumed the look on his face matched the horrified look on Jack’s face. The plane began to sway back and forth, tilting one way, then the other. Both airmen were holding on to their seats, looking at each other. The fear they saw in each other’s eyes was something neither one had seen before.
The plane was now rocking back and forth. When they looked up at the two experienced fliers who were strapped into the side of the plane, their fear subsided slightly. Each one of them remained calm and collected. There was absolutely no panic coming from Morton or the other airman.
Then as if nothing had ever happened, the plane leveled off. The smooth ride they had been enjoying returned. The hum of the engines, which had not been apparent during the rocking, returned. The next thing that happened surprised Em more than anything else since the plane had left the ground. Jack quickly unstrapped himself from the floor and stood up. Before Em could ask him what he thought he was doing, Jack began to make his way toward Morton. Em remained in his seat and just watched as Jack approached the other two and leaned in close and spoke into their ears. Em could not tell what Jack was saying. The crew members were not too concerned. Em looked at the mountains of equipment and was astounded that nothing had moved even one inch. He began to appreciate the members of the crew that had loaded the massive machinery onto the plane. Jack returned to his seat and strapped himself in once more.
“What the heck are you doing?” Em began. “You can’t just walk around like you are on the ground.”
Jack leaned in close to hear what Em was saying. “Storybook, next time that happens, I will be ready,” Jack said.
“Ready for what?” Em looked at Jack, and the fear that had diminished only moments before returned. “Morton and that Sergeant weren’t too worried, so there’s nothing to be scared of, right?”
“He said that what just happened is almost normal. He says there is absolutely nothing to worry about,” Jack boasted as if he had not been frightened at all. “Turbulence happens when we hit air pockets that are warmer or colder. Could happen again any second now.” Em resumed his grip on his seat. Jack told him that they were only about thirty minutes from landing in Alaska. “We’re gonna refuel and pick up a few soldiers.” Jack learned all this in the few seconds he had been gone. Morton instructed him to return to his seat and not be frightened. Em closed his eyes again and wished silently that he were in Hawaii already.
The landing of the airplane was unspectacular. The roar of the engines was louder, but the payload inside the plane remained securely in place. As the plane decelerated, Em could feel the wheels turning on the ground. Then the roar of the engines began to diminish. As the plane finally came to a complete stop, both he and Jack began to feel relaxed for the first time in hours.
Em’s first experience flying had not been exactly as he had imagined. He had enjoyed it more than he could have thought. Even though he was happy to be on the ground, he could not wait to fly again. He unbuckled himself and stood up. Jack was doing the same. As he stretched and tried to awaken his entire body, he thought of something. “Hey, Jack,” but he only heard the muffled sound of his own voice. He reached up and removed the plugs from his ears. He actually did not feel them in his ears anymore. “Hey. You remember the day Colonel Roth was in the barracks and Sergeant Cannon said he may be flying part of the way with us? I never thought about it much with everything else we were worried about. Do you think he meant here, from Alaska? I mean, he ain’t what we’re picking up, is he? If it is, how did he get here? Why is he going with us? I want to know more about what we’re getting ourselves into. What do you think, Jack?” Em said all this with little more than one breath.
Jack, never one to get too excited, just stood by casually, leaning against the side of the plane. “If you would shut up and calm down, I believe we are about to find out.”
Morton and Smith began to move around. The hatch of the plane was opening. Smith motioned for them to follow him. The first thing Em noticed was the temperature. It seemed as if they had landed at the North Pole. Em had assumed that since it was June, it would