NOWHERE MAN chapter one

NOWHERE MAN

                                                                 THE JOURNEY

John's face had been drained of all color, and his hands shook uncontrollably. The message slipped from between his nerveless fingers and he all but collapsed against Mavis, who helped him to his chair.

"I don't know how I'm gonna manage it," he said at last, "But I have to go to America."

"Of course you do," Mavis agreed. "Let's send a wire back to Paul. Maybe he can help you get there without being noticed."

"There ya go, Johnnie-San," said Paul, as he stepped back to admire his work. "No one would ever take ya for anything less than a proper old Japanese gentleman. Have a look at yourself."

He handed John a mirror, and his old friend stared at his reflection with wonder.

"That's me, then, is it?" he asked, and the old gentleman in the mirror said the very same thing.

"Yeah--pretty good, huh. I always knew I'd be glad I learned all this master of disguise stuff someday. And to think, you used to laugh at me for this!"

"Yeah, well, I was wrong," John told him, setting the mirror aside. "Yer a wonder, Paulie. Now, get me to yer plane, and outta here. I don't know how long I've got."

"Okay. Now, here are your papers. Remember, keep bent over and most important--you don't speak English."

"Right. Well, sayonara, Paulie. I'll see ye when I get back. Have ye heard anything more about her condition?"

No...they say she's critical, but stable for now...good luck, John."

John watched the landscape recede; everything upon the ground grew smaller and smaller until they had ascended above the clouds, and still he looked out of the window. The tops of the clouds stretched out below them like a vast, pillowy mattress. It seemed to John as though if he were to step from the plane onto them, he would be able to walk across their soft, fluffy surface. It would probably feel very good against the soles of his feet, he imagined; soft and cool as the sand on the beach early in the morning...

He began to drift off into sleep, and in his dream he saw Mavis standing upon the beach at Harmony, their baby in her arms, the wind blowing her long hair about her face and gently raising her shawl as she watched him go with large, sorrowful eyes.

"I'll be back," he called to her, and she tried to smile. "I promise--I'll be home as soon as I can!"

The beach receded until she was no more than a speck upon it, and he closed his eyes wearily, only to have them snap open again as he woke with a start.

"It's just some turbulence; nothing to worry about," said the pretty nurse sitting beside him.

He hardly recognized Linda in her short, dark wig and full makeup.

"Thanks for goin' with me," he told her. "I know I was never all that kind to ye, Linda, but I hope ye'll forgive me for that."

She smiled at him and patted his hand. "Of course I do...but it's Peggy, remember?"

"Yeah. Peggy. How much longer until we get there?"

"We'll be landing in New York at around eight o'clock in the morning, so we've a while yet. Try to get some more sleep. You've had a shock."