Taking Flight

Beers on Wednesday afternoons were a delight for Paul. Meeting buddies at the pub brought stress release. This stockbroker deserved drinks after studying the Dow Jones average. Jennifer loved Paul, realizing he needed to be with buddies. Terry, their 10-year-old son, told folks he'd be like his dad one day. Jennifer would gratefully smile while stroking Terry's carrot-top head. Paul was raised in Colorado, wealthy. When he grew too old to play with airplanes, he bought one. Taking flight was his love. He was thrilled for Terry to go with him…a trait Jennifer treasured. Paul was a wonderful dad and husband--until the market tumbled. Paul's drinking transformed from social to habitual. With justification he claimed ‘worry’ as the reason. Jennifer told Paul she felt devastation would transpire if he continued drinking. Paul was shocked, thinking he was hiding his accelerated alcohol intake. Wednesday night while Jennifer was watching television, a news commentator announced, "We interrupt this television program to inform you that a single-engine plane crashed in the outskirts of town this afternoon, instantly killing one person. Alcohol was determined as the cause. We'll release the name after contacting the victim's family." Jennifer screamed in disbelief. Little Terry, filled with honesty, hugged his grieving mother, crying. "Mom, people can't hide tears. They can't hide drinking either, can they?" Jennifer pulled Terry close… both realizing who was in that plane before hearing the horrific knock at the front door. Paul had taken flight in every sense of the word...every devastating sense. Written November 15th, 2001 © on Nov 15 2001 03:30 AM PST   0 • 9