Flying High
Anne Humbach
I was so excited!!! It was a beautiful summer’s day and I was sitting on the deck of the Hudson River Day Line boat, steaming up the mighty Hudson River to the town of Poughkeepsie. What a blessing, to feel the cool breeze enveloping me, and the thought of leaving the hot crowded city for a week in the country was almost too much to bear. I am going to visit my friend Jean and her mother who were staying at a cottage in Pleasant Valley. It is my first trip away from home and, at not quite fifteen, felt very grown-up traveling alone. Sitting quietly on the deck, I just let this new experience absorb me. The beautiful peaceful countryside, the hot sun and cool breezes, the stillness, relaxed me completely and I dozed off. Suddenly I hear “Poughkeepsie, last stop” and there on the dock were Jean and her mother Leona with the handsomest of men at her side. Come to think of it, Leona was rarely seen without a good looking escort attending to her needs. After many welcoming hugs and kisses, I was finally introduced to George and he immediately became “Gorgeous” George to me.
At dinner, gorgeous George, with three pair of soft feminine eyes on him, held us entranced with his exploits. He had been a fighter pilot with the fledgling U.S. Air Force in WWI. The stories he told made us gasp with horror. He even was in combat with the infamous “Red Baron” of the German Luftwaffe. After the war, he bought an army surplus open cockpit two-seater airplane. Right now he was with a flying circus performing breathtaking stunts. He made all this sound so glamorous. He had his plane at a small airfield in Poughkeepsie and promised to take us for a ride tomorrow.
Such excitement the next day. With very little sleep, after much discussion about gorgeous George, Jean and I were ready for the greatest experience of our lifetime, our first airplane ride. Since his plane was only a two-seater, we had to take turns. Jean went first and I sat with Leon a in the shade of the hangar. After some time we could see the plane returning and as it started to land I ran out onto the field to meet it. When it came to a stop, gallant gorgeous George got out first and standing on the wing reached in the help Jean out onto the ground. In my eagerness to get onto the plane I did not notice that Jean was rather pale and wobbled a bit as she walked away.
Now it was my turn and I was trembling as the plane taxied down the bumpy grass field and took off. We kept climbing and climbing until I felt we would break open that blue sky and burst into heaven. Gradually we straightened out and looking down I gasped at the beautiful scene below me. There was the Hudson River, small as a sparkling silver chain, snaking its way gently through this peaceful countryside. Graceful miniature mansions with their riverfront views of the Catskill Mountains dotted the eastern shore. Oh how I wished I could live here, away from the over crowded city. Regretfully, I could feel the plane turning and we were headed back to the airfield and reality. Gradually I realized that instead of landing, George was circling the field and had to wait until another plane was ready to take off. Round and round we went and I prayed desperately that George would straighten out and fly right. But the more circles we made the more nauseous I became Finally I felt the plane gliding down and we were taxiing over the bumpy turf to a stop. George jumped onto the wing and turned to help me out of my seat. He took one look at my green face and tried to push me away. As I clung desperately to him, he lost his balance and the two of us tumbled to the ground and I threw up all over him. The look of disgust on his face made me want to die and be buried right there. Jean and Leona ran out to help — Jean to comfort me and Leona trying to clean George’s jacket with her lace handkerchief!! With a last hateful look at us he turned and ran for the hangar. That was the last we saw of Gorgeous George.
As with so many long ago happenings, this memory gradually faded away but was vividly remembered seventy years later when five years ago my dream of living in the Hudson Valley came true. Poughkeepsie and Pleasant Valley now are within a short driving distance of my home. God does move in mysterious ways.
Fall, 2007
Copyright © 2002-2010 Anne Humbach