by J. J. Murray
“She is nice,” Tony said.
“How do you know that Trina is nice?” Matthew asked.
“Her eyes are clear,” Tony said.
“That doesn’t mean she’s nice,” Matthew said.
“Angela’s eyes are clear,” Tony said. “Aika’s eyes are clear. They see me with their clear eyes. Trina will see me.”
Matthew wanted to tell Tony that Angela and Aika saw him clearly because they were caring, loving people, but he wasn’t sure Tony would understand. “Tony, as your lawyer, I have to warn you about something. Some women are not all who they seem to be. I want you to be careful around Trina. While she seems very nice, she might want to take advantage of you.”
“I would like Trina to take advantage of me,” Tony said. “I have not had sex yet.”
Oh, boy. “I meant that she might act as if she cares about you because you have a lot of money.”
“I will not tell her that I have a lot of money,” Tony said.
“But if you tell Trina who you really are,” Matthew said, “she will know that you have a lot of money.”
“I will not tell her about Art E.,” Tony said. “I am only Tony.”
“Only Tony,” Matthew said. “That’s good. You stay Tony.”
Tony sighed. “I am nervous.”
“About flying?” Matthew asked.
“No,” Tony said. “About Trina.”
“It’s good to be a little nervous around someone you want to meet,” Matthew said. “Nervousness helps you stay quiet and listen.”
“I will listen to Trina,” Tony said. “I am good at being quiet.”
“You’re a good man, Tony,” Matthew said. “No matter what happens, always remember that you’re a good man.”
“I will remember,” Tony said.
Matthew led Tony to the American Airlines ticket counter. “We’re here to pick up a ticket for Tony Santangelo.”
The attendant typed on a keyboard. “Yes, sir.” She squinted. “We’ll get you a cart, Mr. Santangelo.” She handed a boarding pass to Matthew.
“I’m Mr. Santangelo’s lawyer,” Matthew said. “He’s Tony Santangelo.” He put the boarding pass into Tony’s hands. “Don’t lose this.”
They rode the cart to the security checkpoint where Tony had a security guard check out his hiking boots.
“I only put my feet in them,” Tony said.
“I’ve never heard that one before,” the man said. “You’re very funny.”
“Thank you,” Tony said.
He then watched his laptop case go on a conveyor belt under a scanner.
“That’s to see if you have anything dangerous in there,” Matthew said. “And from what you showed me, there’s nothing dangerous about some clothes and a toothbrush.”
Once they reached his gate, and while Tony watched planes moving around the tarmac and occasionally taking off, Matthew spoke to a woman at the counter. She nodded several times and followed Matthew to Tony.
“Mr. Santangelo, I’m Maggie,” she said. “Are you ready to get on the plane?”
“Yes,” Tony said.
Matthew placed his hand gently on Tony’s shoulder. “It’s time for you to fly, Tony.”
Tony turned and gradually extended his hand. “Thank you, Matthew.”
Matthew shook Tony’s hand. “Oh, um, could I get your brother’s phone number?”
Tony handed him his cell phone.
Matthew clicked on Tony’s contacts and found only two numbers. Wow. Only two. His brother and Angela. His brother is his lifeline, and I will be cutting off that lifeline for twenty-four hours. He wrote the number on the back of a business card. “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Tony?”
“Yes,” Tony said. “Do not call Angelo.”
“I won’t call him today,” Matthew said. “I will call him tomorrow.”
“Two days,” Tony said. “Please.”
“I heard you tell Angela that you would find Trina in one day,” Matthew said.
“I will,” Tony said. “It will take me two days to talk to her. I have to sponge her first.”
“Tony, I don’t know,” Matthew said. “I have to let Angelo know sooner than forty-eight hours. You don’t want him to worry about you, do you?”
“He worries about me anyway,” Tony said. “I will call Angela when I find Trina. I promise.”
“If you don’t call Angela, I’ll be calling you.” Matthew searched for Tony’s eyes. “Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Go get your girl, Tony.”
“Trina is not a girl,” Tony said.
“Go get your woman then,” Matthew said.
“I will go get my lady,” Tony said. “Good-bye, Matthew.”
“Good luck, Tony.”
Tony walked with a flight attendant through the tunnel.
“I’m Katie,” she said.
“I am Tony Santangelo from Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York, USA.”
“Good to meet you, Tony,” Katie said. “Is that your only carry-on?”
“It is a laptop case,” Tony said.
“Um, is your laptop case all you have to carry on the plane?” Katie asked.
“Yes,” Tony said.
Katie led him into an empty first-class section.
“There is no one else,” Tony said.
“We’ve seated you first, Mr. Santangelo,” Katie said. She motioned to a seat, and Tony sat. “You can put your laptop case above you in the bin if you want.”
“I will hold onto it,” Tony said.
“I understand you like root beer and cookies,” Katie said.
“Yes,” Tony said. “Hires Root Beer. Oatmeal and raisin cookies.”
“We’ll get you some,” Katie said. “Would you like to listen to some music while we wait to take off?”
“Yes.”
She unwrapped and handed a set of headphones to Tony. “Just plug it in there.” She pointed toward a plug in the wall. “Then change the channels here.” She pointed at a dial on his armrest.
“Thank you,” Tony said. “You smell like strawberries.”
“It must be my shampoo,” Katie said.
“I like strawberries,” Tony said.
“Thank you for choosing American Airlines,” Katie said.
Tony flipped through the channels, listening to part of a song here, a guitar riff or drumroll there. He froze when he heard Naomi Stringer singing “Love Me in the Morning,” and as he listened, he closed his eyes and saw Trina’s face. I would like Trina to sing to me like this, he thought. I would like Trina to love me in the morning, too. When the song finished, he continued flipping through the channels, his mind working overtime to fuse all the sounds he heard into one song.
Then the airplane pulled away from the terminal.
“We are flying now,” Tony said.
Katie knelt beside his seat. “We’ll be taking off soon, yes,” she said.
“What will we be taking off?” Tony asked.
Katie smiled. “Are you flirting with me?”
“No,” Tony said. “I only flirt with Aika.”
She reached over and fastened his seat belt. “We’ll be in the air in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
During takeoff and the long climb, Tony twisted and pulled his fingers. When the plane leveled off, he stopped pulling and twisting and looked out the window.
He yanked down the window shade.
I am in the air, in the air, without a care, do I dare, how’s my hair . . .
“Are you okay, Mr. Santangelo?” Katie asked.
“I am okay.”
“I’ll get you that root beer and those cookies now, okay?”
“Okay.”
Tony blocked out all the other passengers, munched his cookies, drank his root beer, and continued memorizing the map book of San Francisco. He dozed fitfully somewhere over Chicago and found the courage to peek out the window when the captain said: “If you look out your windows, you’ll see the ligh
ts of Denver, Colorado, the Mile High City.”
He peeked and then jerked down the window shade.
Fly high, mile high, smile high, style high, while high, pile high, too high . . .
When the airplane descended, Tony raised the window shade in time to see the lights of San Francisco sparkling around San Francisco Bay. It is like Christmas down there, he thought. I am landing in Christmas town.
I hope Trina will be my gift.
16
When the airplane touched down, Tony unfastened his seat belt and stood.
“Tony,” Katie called out from her jump seat. “You have to wait until the plane stops.”
“I am sorry.” He sat.
“It’s okay,” Katie said, unbuckling and leaving her seat. “You did very well for your first flight.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re going to leave the plane first, okay?” Katie said.
“Yes,” Tony said. “I must leave the plane first.” He blinked. “But first I have to use the bathroom.”
“I’ll take you back,” Katie said. She led him to the bathroom and opened the door.
“It is small,” Tony said.
“It’s big enough. Go ahead.”
Tony stepped inside. “There is no blue water.”
Katie stuck her head inside. “It’s a special toilet. It doesn’t use water.”
“Oh.” Tony closed the door and drained off six root beers. He pressed the silver button and listened to the whoosh as his urine disappeared. He turned, washed and dried his hands, and pushed out the door.
“Are you okay?” Katie asked.
“Yes,” Tony said. “Toilets should not be so loud.”
Katie handed Tony his laptop case. “I put your book inside.”
“Thank you,” Tony said.
Katie escorted Tony through the tunnel to the terminal, where another uniformed woman waited. “I hope you enjoyed your first flight, Tony.”
“I did,” Tony said.
“Tony has no luggage, Marie,” Katie said. “Tony, Marie will help you from here on.”
“Okay.” Tony looked at Marie’s shiny black shoes. “I am Tony Santangelo.”
“Welcome to the City by the Bay, Mr. Santangelo,” Marie said as Katie returned to the plane.
“I am not in San Francisco,” Tony said.
“You are,” Marie said. “That’s one of San Francisco’s nicknames. It’s also sometimes called Fog City.”
“That is a good name,” Tony said. “It is often foggy here.”
“Could I help you get a taxi to your hotel?” Marie asked.
“Yes,” Tony said. He saw another cart with a driver. “We will ride the cart.”
“Yes, sir,” Marie said.
Tony climbed on. “I like riding the cart.”
They rode the cart through the crowds to a taxi stand outside. “Where are you staying, Tony?” Marie asked.
“The Huntington,” Tony said.
“Follow me,” Marie said.
Tony followed Marie to a taxi. “Please take him to the Huntington,” she told the driver. “Enjoy your stay in San Francisco, Mr. Santangelo.” She opened the back door, and Tony got in.
“Thank you, Marie.”
Marie whispered something to the driver, and the driver nodded. “I’ll take good care of you, Tony.” The taxi pulled away from the curb. “My name’s Tino.”
“You know my name,” Tony said.
“The airlines lady told me,” Tino said. “I will need your credit card.”
“You will give it back,” Tony said.
“I just need to swipe it once, Tony,” Tino said.
Tony handed his credit card forward, and Tino swiped and returned it.
“Take me to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital,” Tony said.
“You feeling sick, Tony?” Tino asked.
“No.”
“The airlines lady told me to take you directly to the Huntington,” Tino said.
“I need to go to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital,” Tony said.
“Is there someone at the hospital you want to visit first?” Tino asked.
“Yes,” Tony said. “Her name is Trina Woods.”
“Is she sick?” Tino asked.
“I hope not,” Tony said.
Tino smiled. “Oh! Has someone had a baby?”
“Eight babies are born every minute in the United States,” Tony said.
“I mean, has Trina had a baby?” Tino asked.
“No,” Tony said. “Trina wants two daughters. I will give her a snowflake child.”
“A what?”
“A snowflake child,” Tony said. “Trina is dark brown and I am white. Our daughter will be a snowflake child.”
Tino nodded. “So you’re in love with Trina, huh?”
“I cannot be in love with Trina,” Tony said. “I have not met her yet.”
“Oh. Huh?” Tino cruised to a stop at a stoplight. He looked back. “You haven’t met her yet?”
“No,” Tony said. “I hope to meet her tonight at the hospital.”
The taxi pulled through the intersection. “Is she a doctor?”
“She is a nurse,” Tony said.
“Okay,” Tino said. He pulled up to the curb near the main entrance. “We’re here.” He opened his door, got out, and opened Tony’s door.
Tony stepped out. “Thank you.” He stared up at Tino. “You are very big.”
“Yeah,” Tino said. “I like to eat.”
“I like to eat, too.” Tony looked at Tino’s massive arms. “You are brown.”
“Yes,” Tino said. “I am Latino.”
“You speak Spanish,” Tony said.
“Sí,” Tino said.
“Gracias,” Tony said, and he started for the main entrance.
Tino walked beside him.
“I must talk to Trina alone,” Tony said, pushing through the double doors.
“I’m going to help you find her, okay?” Tino said. “And if you find her, I’ll leave you two alone to talk.”
“Okay.”
Tino led Tony to the information desk. “My friend Tony here wants to speak to Trina Woods.”
“Trina is a nurse here,” Tony said. He read her name tag. “Lily Williams.”
“Is she expecting you?” Lily asked.
“No,” Tony said. “You are brown and have an Afro.”
Lily widened her eyes. “Um, okay.”
“Um, Tony’s special,” Tino said.
“I have Asperger’s,” Tony said. “I am not special.”
“I’m sorry, Tony,” Tino said. “I meant no disrespect.”
“It is okay,” Tony said. “I need to see Trina Woods.”
Lily shook her head. “I can’t give out that information, sir.”
“I do not understand,” Tony said. “Trina works here. She said so on the Internet.”
“It’s okay, Tony,” Tino said. “HIPAA laws, right?”
“Right,” Lily said.
“Can you at least tell my friend Tony if she works here?” Tino asked. “He’s been in an airplane all day.”
“I can’t give out that information,” Lily said. She then nodded once.
“Thank you, Lily,” Tino said. “Is she working now?”
“I can’t give out that information,” Lily said. She then shook her head.
“Thank you again, Lily,” Tino said. “Thanks for not helping.” He winked.
“Are you in love with Lily?” Tony asked.
Tino laughed. “This is the first time I’ve ever met this lovely lady.”
“But you winked,” Tony said. “A wink means you love someone.”
Tino smiled at Lily. “Or it means you like what you see.”
Lily smiled.
“Come on, Tony,” Tino said. “We can go to your hotel now.”
Tony didn’t move. “I want to see Trina.”
“Didn’t you see Lily nodding and shaking her head?” Tino asked.
“No,” Ton
y said. “I have trouble looking at faces.”
“Okay,” Tino said. “Without saying so to protect her job, Lily told us Trina does work here, and she works during the day.”
“I will see Trina in the morning,” Tony said.
“Yes,” Tino said. “Let’s go to your hotel now.”
“Okay, Tino.”
“It’s just around the corner.” Tino waved at Lily. “Thank you, Lily.”
Lily held out a slip of paper. “In case you don’t need any information in the future, Tino.”
Tino took the paper. “I think I won’t need information very soon.” He smiled.
“Bye, Tony,” Lily said.
“Bye, Lily,” Tony said.
When they reached the Huntington, a doorman wearing white gloves and a dark uniform opened his door. “Welcome to the Huntington,” he said.
Tony got out and looked at the cable car going by, its bell clanging twice.
“Those are neat, huh?” Tino said. “You’ll have to ride one of those while you’re here. They’re a lot of fun.”
“I will ride one,” Tony said. “I know where it goes.”
“Come on,” Tino said.
Tony walked through the ornate entrance to the reception desk, Tino reaching the desk first. “My friend Tony has a reservation.”
Tony read her name tag. “Your name is Jeanie.”
“That’s right,” Jeanie said. “And what is your name?”
“Tony Santangelo, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York, USA.”
“One moment,” Jeanie said, tapping at her keyboard.
Tino leaned against the reception desk. “I didn’t know you were from Brooklyn. I have a cousin who lives in Bushwick. You lived there long?”
“All my life,” Tony said.
“You don’t have the accent,” Tino said.
“It is because I have Asperger’s,” Tony said. “My brother Angelo has the accent.”
“You’re staying with us for a week, Mr. Santangelo, and you’re already paid in full,” Jeanie said. “I’ll just need a credit card for any incidental charges you may accrue.”
Tony handed her his credit card. “You will give it back.”
Jeanie smiled. “Of course I will.” She swiped his card and returned it. “If you need anything, Mr. Santangelo, call the front desk and I’ll answer.”
“Okay,” Tony said.
“Are you here on vacation?” Jeanie asked.
“No,” Tony said. “I am here to meet Trina Woods.”
