Читать книгу Flight of the Forgotten - Mark A. Vance - Страница 32

It was getting close to dark on my last day in the search area, but I couldn’t make myself leave. Jack Ketchum had insisted that I return to the loch with him without telling me why. I’d followed reluctantly, though I knew it would be dark soon and I wasn’t feeling up to climbing down the hillside in the dark. It was a warm, perfectly still evening under a cloudless sky as I sat next to him and waited. I was still thinking about what he’d said about me being in spirit at the time of the crash and accepting the challenge of telling the families the truth.

“How much longer?” I asked, twisting a piece of wreckage over and over in my hand.

“Time is an earthly concept. Just be patient.” he encouraged, staring ahead at the loch.

“I don’t think I can make it down the hill after dark.” I prompted.

“You don’t have to. You’re safe here.” he replied with a smile.

“Was I really here when all this happened?” I asked curiously.

“Here and there. Don’t worry. We’ll help you recall.” he insisted. “There’s something else really important I want you to remember when this is all over with, Mark.”

“What’s that?”

“People need to know about all the sacrifices made out of love of country for them, not just this one. They need to know that a sacrifice made out of love of country is a sacred gift. They should cherish their freedom more instead of taking it for granted. Thousands have given their lives for it. They should appreciate it more.” he insisted.

“Yes sir. I understand.”

“You also must share your love of flying with your family more. They need to know that airplanes are safe in spite of what happened here. You need to encourage your family not to be afraid.” he continued.

“Okay, I will, Jack.”

“Can you do something else for me, something really special?” he then asked.

“Just name it, Jack.”

“Could you tell Bobbe for me that whenever she’s outside working in her garden and feels what she thinks is a spider web against her face, and there’s no spider web there, it’s my way of saying ‘hello’. Tell her I’m around her all the time and I’ll always love her.” he said sadly.

“Consider it done.” I replied, wiping a tear from my eye.