“Wonderful,” he says and opens the helicopter door.
“Come,” she says to me, but I am frozen to the ground.
“First time?” asks the pilot, and I nod. “You may just sit for a moment,” he says. “I’ll explain and answer whatever questions might arise.”
Victoria gets inside and holds out her hand for me to take.
I hesitate for another moment.
The cave, think of the cave,I tell myself.One day, no cave.
And I take her hand and climb in.
I am fixed in my seat, with the headset on, when I suddenly hear the pilot's voice in my ears. He explains what is about to happen and starts the rotor.
I will so regret this.
The vibration goes through my body, and my heart beats into my throat the very moment.
Victoria, next to me, watches me carefully, but approvingly.
“Ready?” asks the pilot, and I shake my head.
“You better be,” Victoria says. “You will learn to love it.”
Learn to love it,I repeat to myself, and can’t unhear the sound of the future coming with it.
“London Tower, this is Sierra Echo Yankee Charlie One, requesting departure clearance from London Heliport, Echo Golf Lima Whisky, VFR flight, private charter, routing northbound to private landing site in the Highlands Glenmere Manor, ready to lift.”
Goosebumps spread over my entire body. Private landing site in the Highlands.
“Sierra Echo Yankee Charlie One, this is London Tower, you’re cleared for departure. Maintain heading zero-one-five, climb to one thousand-five-hundred feet. Contact Scottish Control on 124.5 once leaving London airspace. Have a safe flight.”
I can’t believe my ears.
This is really happening.
I bite my lip as a smile displaces itself into a grin of disbelief.
The helicopter lifts off, and my hands, my entire body, are as sweaty as they can get. I try to calm my breathing because the vibrating-while-hovering feeling is absolutely not my cup of tea.
Victoria grasps my hand, and I am embarrassed by how sweaty it is, but she does not seem to care. She caresses with her thumb over the back of my hand in a calming rhythm.
“Focus on something outside,” says the pilot through the headphones. “Something in the distance.”
And when I look up, we’re rising and leaving London underneath us.
It looks so small from up here.
I can’t believe I am doing this.
I’m flying in a helicopter.
With her.
Everything about it is so absurd that I start laughing.
This is probably the scariest and most wonderful thing I have ever done.
