The couple moved from New York to the mountains of Pennsylvania because John wanted his child to grow up in the country.
Though it was a long drive from the hills of Clarks Summit to New York, Liesel continued to fly for Pan Am while her husband’s search for meaningful employment went on. Luckily, many weeks passed before she began to show any sign of a pregnancy. Not surprisingly, however, she failed her preflight weigh-in one afternoon before a scheduled flight to Paris. Sadly, it was not a friendly, “we wish you well,” parting. Liesel’s lengthy journey home was tear-filled for many reasons.
*
“Are you telling me that Mrs. Tacker got fired because she was pregnant?” asked Lucy incredulously.
“Oh, indeed she was,” said Lynn. “Back then, stewardesses had to keep their waistline in check. Not only that, but they had to remain single. She was able to keep her marriage a secret, but not a growing baby.”
“That is totally bogus!” snapped Lucy.
Lynn flashed a smile at her granddaughter. She agreed with the young teen, but it was also a fact of life that she’d accepted many decades earlier. Lynn’s mom had told her that no matter how smart she was, when in public, she should never allow herself to appear smarter than a man. She thought it foolish at the time, and still did, but willingly accepted her mother’s guidance. “Times change, and thank goodness for that,” said Lynn, practically under her breath. “Anyway…”
*
Six months passed and John Tacker, no matter what he tried, could not land a job in aviation. Getting terminated from one of the finest airlines on the globe did not help. He did manage to find some work along the way to help keep their heads above water. John worked as a short order cook, a day laborer and a delivery truck driver, but those jobs didn’t pay well and were far from the ego satisfying work that he so much craved. The other airlines he applied to wouldn’t even bother to call him in for an interview. All he wanted was a chance to explain himself, but it wasn’t to be. John was an unemployed pilot who had been fired for gross incompetence. There was no way those words could ever be wiped away. He reluctantly concluded that, much like a Scarlet Letter, he would be forced to bear the “gross incompetence” label all the way to his grave.
Though a lot of innocent people might well have perished that day in London, John refused to acknowledge the altimeter error, clinging to the belief that he was merely a scapegoat. It was indeed Lars’s job to cross-check the altimeters during the approach, but Pan Am’s procedures were clear: It was the first officer’s job to check and then double-check all metric conversions, and provide the flight engineer with the proper information. Regardless, John simply refused to accept the fact that he’d made a mistake in his calculations. He firmly believed that the company fired him for the sole purpose of protecting one of their captains. But his self-imposed feelings of aloofness did not last forever.
Forgettable weeks came and went, while John ever-so-slowly slipped into depression. His unhappiness would have likely morphed into complete despair had it not been for Liesel. She saved him. The thought of starting a family with the woman he loved is all that kept him from going over the edge.
Living in his old hometown had a bright side. John still had lots of friends who never left Clarks Summit and remembered him for who he was. They didn’t know the John Tacker who’d been fired for gross incompetence. The life-long inhabitants of the quaint Pennsylvania farming community accepted John and his wife with open arms, unaware of his past trials and tribulations.
In spite of the welcoming surroundings, however, John’s bitterness continued to grow over time. Whenever he ran into old friends at the Summit Diner or in Bunnell’s Hardware store, or while casually strolling down State Street, he had to force himself to smile as they regaled him with stories of his old ex-best friend, Bill Pratt. Very few people, if any, seemed aware that he and Bill Pratt hadn’t spoken in years.
Reluctantly, John heard how Bill Pratt served honorably in the Marines and then used the GI bill to pay for flying lessons. He was forced to endure conversations about how Bill Pratt climbed the ladder at Northwest Orient, eventually landing the captain’s seat on the brand new Boeing 727. It killed him knowing that Pratt married the most beautiful and intelligent woman in town and flew left seat on a three engine jet aircraft--one that came with an income he had no hope of ever achieving.
When the review board with Pan Am and the newly formed Federal Aviation Administration were concluded, John tried contacting some of his old crewmates. With the exception of Asa, who sent a Christmas card with a short note every year, none wanted anything to do with him. Pilots, he surmised, could be a cold-hearted lot when they wanted to be. He tried telling himself that it wasn’t their fault; that they’d been coerced into believing that he tried to kill them all. But, nonetheless, it still hurt to have the men he shared a cockpit with turn their backs on him.
Liesel helped her husband keep tabs on his former coworkers. Even after being forced out of Pan Am because of her pregnancy, she kept in touch with a great many of her old friends. Things she thought her husband would like to hear, she mentioned in conversation. But if Liesel heard something that she knew would anger John, the information was quickly forgotten.
Through his wife, John learned that the Icelandic police had contacted Charles by telephone and questioned him for nearly an hour. Months later, John learned that no charges had been filed against any of the passengers or crew members on board Pan Am flight forty-two regarding Albert Viscelli’s untimely death. The Icelandic authorities concluded that Sonny must have somehow slipped when the propeller ran away, causing his neck to become lodged in such a way that he choked to death.
As the trials and tribulations played out over time, Liesel gave birth to a wonderfully healthy baby boy. Having a son allowed John’s mind to focus on other matters. Eventually, the happenings at Pan Am and the people he worked with while there became little more than a passing interest.
Over the years, John would also learn the fate of the rest of his crew through snippets of information gathered from here and there.
Within a year of upgrading to captain, Ed Vito, weary from all the hours away from home, retired early from Pan Am. With the help of his well-connected family, he opened his own pizza parlor in downtown Manhattan. Eventually, Ed presided over a chain of pizza restaurants located throughout the five boroughs that make up New York City. He remained single for the remainder of his days.
At sixty-seven years of age, G.R. felt it was time to settle down. He married an Icelandic woman twenty-six years his junior and was blessed with a daughter nine months later. Though G.R. would not live to see it, his progeny would one day become a pilot for a major U.S. airline.
With no mandatory retirement age for flight engineers, G.R. stayed with Pan Am until his seventieth birthday. The last airplane he served on, and the one that he ended up loving the most, was the Boeing 707.
After retiring, G.R. and his new family returned to his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. That the top-rated engineer had grown up in the Lone Star state, was a fact he’d managed to keep secret throughout his tenure at Pan Am. For many years, G.R. had to force himself to subdue his accent, wrongly believing that folks from the east coast, and especially New York, would never respect a flight engineer with a deep Texas drawl.
Shortly after settling in at his new ranch, G.R. bought himself a quarter horse and named him Runway. He then spent his remaining years riding the trails with a smile on his face and a black cowboy hat atop his head. When he died, they buried him with his boots on, just like a cowboy should.
The body of Lars Larsen was pulled from the East River in January 1959. He’d been shot twice in the back of the head. The case remains unsolved.
Asa Day rose through the ranks at Pan Am, eventually earning the rank of captain on the B747. Following the demise of Pan Am, Asa was one of the lucky few who managed to hire on with Delta Airlines as part of their asset purchase of the once great airline. After faili
ng to merge the two companies, the flying Clipper fleet disappeared and was relegated to history. The company that helped to write the book on air travel ended up a sad chapter in its own tome.
With a son in the house, John was forced to think more about his future and not so much about his past. Whenever he looked into his son’s eyes, he could practically feel himself being pushed toward action. It was as if the infant was telling him to move on. It changed him, but not enough.
The phone call from the government came out of nowhere. The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] needed qualified pilots to act as aviation inspectors. His job would be to make sure pilots were flying by the book. John was stunned by the offer. It was a godsend. He couldn’t accept the position fast enough. That he’d been fired for failing to adhere to company procedures was never mentioned and was certainly not something John would be inclined to bring up.
After John’s separation from Pan Am, Charles kept loose tabs on his former copilot’s whereabouts. He long regretted what happened and wanted to do what he could from behind the scenes to help the young man get back on his feet. The fact that Charles Pratt was the person who was instrumental in helping John rebuild his life didn’t stem from any sense of honor or an admission of guilt on his part, though it did make Charles feel good on the inside. His real motivation was to secretly provide for Liesel and her son. A phone call and glowing recommendation from a highly respected Pan American captain was all it took.
The FAA, while not exactly the job of his dreams, would allow John back into the skies. And more importantly, he would be able to shed the label of gross incompetence once and for all.
Often, while sitting in class during his initial training, John daydreamed about his limitless future. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that with his background, after rising through the ranks of course, he would likely become the FAA administrator. John knew inside that he would eventually be the one setting policy and laying down the law. It would be up to him to single-handedly weed out the pilot ranks, ridding the airlines of their dead wood. He already had a few names on his list. It was a relief knowing that life was once again on the upswing. And as a much-beloved expert in the world of aviation, perhaps it would only be a matter of time before the President of the United States tapped him to become Secretary of Transportation. After that, who knew?
*
“Grandma, what about Mrs. Tacker?” interrupted Lucy.
“I’m getting to that, dear,” replied Lynn.
*
When Bill Pratt quite unexpectedly purchased the farm next door, John was outraged. It didn’t matter that his new neighbor’s land was less suited for farming, had a smaller house and came with a long, pothole-filled driveway. Having him as a neighbor would serve as a constant reminder that the Pratt family took a young kid who had it all and ground him into a middle-aged man with nothing. The Pratts were the ones that kicked the ball representing his future in the wrong direction. First it was the thieving son and then his heartless, incompetent father. Even knowing that he and Lynn Pratt were ill-suited to be marriage partners, and that he had actually managed to marry his soul mate, John could not forget the hurt from his past. No, having his number one enemy move in down the street was a shot across his bow, a clear challenge to his authority and an attempt by the Pratts to finish him off once and for all. John could simply not allow them to destroy what was left of his life. It was time to prepare, and then remain at the ready to attack.
“When the boy comes of age, I think we should enroll him in private school,” said John.
“We can’t afford that, John,” noted Liesel. “And what makes you say such a thing?”
“I will not have our son attending the same school as the Pratt children. I simply cannot allow that family to ruin another life,” said John.
“John, you simply must learn to put the past behind you,” she said. “We have a good life now. Things have worked out. We needn’t worry about such things anymore.”
“Exactly, my dear, but don’t allow yourself to be fooled. They will do whatever it takes to ruin what gains I’ve made,” he said. “I shall never let a day go by that I won’t remind our son just how evil the Pratt family is. I will forbid him from even looking upon any of them or their rock-filled land. My son will know the truth. I will make it known that it is only out of my love for him and my wish for him to succeed that I order him to steer clear of those devilish Pratts.”
“I read once that if a group of people were to sit in a circle and toss all of their problems out into the middle, after looking them over and seeing what the others had to deal with, each person would gladly take their own problems back,” said Liesel.
John paused for a moment. “Liesel, the Pratts started this. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have any problems.”
“My dear, mein Liebling, I truly hope that you will one day learn to let all of this go,” sighed Liesel.
Her words stopped him for a moment. He loved it when she spoke German to him. Though not a soft language, her accent often had a calming effect and helped ease some of life’s tensions. “That, my love, will be up to those next door,” said John in a much softer tone.
Liesel often spoke to her infant son in German when John wasn’t around, hoping he would become bilingual as many Europeans are. It was yet another secret she kept from the man she adored.
Aside from her secrets, however, having a child forced Liesel Tacker to remain faithful to her husband and his wishes. She even allowed him to have full rein over running their household. She missed her life as a stewardess terribly, but knew Pan Am would never rehire her--not with a husband and child to care for. Whenever Liesel heard an airplane pass overhead, it would serve as a reminder of a life once lived. The sound of the propellers slicing through the air whispered in her ears. She recalled the fun layovers, the beaches of Thailand, the food of Japan, the people of Egypt and the wine from Paris. She missed her carefree lifestyle, free to come and go with the breeze. She loved her husband and son dearly, but still…
One afternoon while sitting on the porch, the former stewardess and her husband looked up as a four-engine passenger jet flew high above their heads. The sleek silver bird was enroute to an unknown destination, located somewhere beyond the horizon. Neither spoke as they watched the contrail dissipate in the high altitude winds.
“Do you ever miss that life?” asked John, staring deeply into the sky.
“I sometimes do,” said Liesel. “I would never trade the life we have together for it, but I do miss the friendships and the fun layovers.”
“I wish I could have flown the new jets. I read that Boeing is going to build one that will hold three hundred people. At my seniority, I would have been a captain on one of those. I sure wish things had gone differently,” said John, his words trailing off at the end.
Liesel was caught off guard. She never expected to hear her husband say such a thing. She wanted to explore his feelings more, perhaps tell him how she really felt, but held back. She’d long ago learned to leave her husband be whenever he seemed melancholy. She knew there was nothing to be gained.
Over the years, letters were exchanged in the mail with her female airline friends, most of whom were eventually let go simply because of their age or weight. Liesel viewed the correspondence as opportunities to remind herself that those were the kind of things she did not miss about the airline business. Though the longing to go back lasted for many years, she knew that her carefree lifestyle was the sole reason she ended up living a mundane life in the hills of Pennsylvania. It was her choice.
Liesel loved the memories, and often replayed them in her mind while doing the laundry and sweeping the floor. And as the memories slowly faded, the reluctant mother willingly came to accept her fate. She never allowed herself to forget that things could have been much worse. Unlike her husband, happiness was something that Liesel never lacked.
Liesel first met Lynn at the grocery store. Though they’d waved across the f
ield, it was the first time the two actually exchanged words. They instantly became friends. In the weeks that followed, they began speaking by telephone. When their husbands were out of town, the duo got together for lunch. The secrecy of their friendship was something Liesel needed far more than Lynn. It gave her the feeling of living on the edge, much like her wild days at the airline.
*
“And Grandpa never knew?” asked Lucy.
“Not until I told him. I waited until I thought he could handle it,” said Lynn.
“How did he take it?”
“Oh, I’d say things were a bit chilly for a day or so. But, Mrs. Tacker was a lonely woman. She needed a friend. Unlike your grandfather, Mr. Tacker was a taskmaster and would not allow his wife to stray too far from his side. The two of us had many heart to heart talks. Her personality was quite different from mine, but we were both married to pilots and that gave us a great deal of common ground.”
“What’s different about being married to a pilot?”
“Pilots are away from home a great deal. And because of that, a pilot’s wife has to learn to be independent, but also has to be willing to relinquish the controls when her man comes home. You see, they are used to being in command and it takes a long time for them to learn how to let that go when they are away from their job.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand men,” said Lucy.
“Lucy, when I was about your age my mom sat me down to talk about the birds and the bees. I was horrified, but she made it easy. She told me that men are simple creatures. They are nothing like us. If a man’s stomach is full, then he will be happy. Then she cautioned me about matters in the bedroom and that I may one day have to struggle to stay interested. She also told me that once a week or so, I should put a ribbon in my hair and wear a nice dress. I was to do this because a man needs to know that his woman cares about him. I was aghast. I almost started laughing. But looking back, I must say, it was good advice. She was right. I’ve been happily married for a long time.”
Sojourners of the Sky Page 21
