The Pilot (standard:romance, 3575 words)
Author: Tim Callaway	Added: Aug 01 2002	Views/Reads: 4933/2775	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Squadron Leader Jimmy Barrett is killed in action just before the birth of his son. Jimmy's love ensures that he is always there for his son and wife, Evelyn. A real supernatural tear jerker!

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story


"Peter, it's Evelyn Barrett. I know I shouldn't ring you during an
operation but I'm worried about Jimmy. Is there any news?" 

"Hello, Evelyn. I'll have to be quick. Jimmy called in a few minutes ago
and he's OK. We expect him back within the hour. Look I must dash. See 
you later!" 

"Thanks, Peter." 

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the German Officer standing smugly
next to his stationary staff car. He appeared to be saluting the German 
plane that was making its way back to base. This simple gesture enraged 
Jimmy, as he knew his time had run out, there was nowhere to land 
safely. He aimed his crippled plane towards the staff car and said his 
prayers. 

The clock, a wedding gift on the uncluttered mantelpiece, struck 4.00pm
and Evelyn rushed outside towards the sound of the returning British 
fighters. She meticulously checked each registration number in turn 
knowing the one she was really looking for. The final fighter, only 
showing a single undercarriage wheel, roared over her rooftop and her 
heart fell silent. The baby within her even seemed to hold its breath 
as she prayed for one more plane. 

6.00pm sounded from the clock as Evelyn sat motionless in her armchair.
The front door knocker sounding its death anthem resounded through the 
cottage. At first Evelyn did not move though a combination of shock and 
terror but the persistence of the caller caused her to move towards the 
door. She opened it slowly and looked at the officer in front of her. 
His face did not offer a smile of welcome but remained expressionless. 

"Evelyn, may I come in?" asked Wing Commander Peter Best. 

"Yes." "Evelyn, please sit down as I have some bad news to tell you." 

Evelyn sat without visible emotion but within her heart she was
screaming in pain and desperation. 

"Is it Jimmy?" her voice trembled. 

"Yes. He died nearly two hours ago. We had to make sure before telling
you he was missing. As luck would have it a passing foot patrol saw his 
brave crash and tried to rescue him from the burning wreckage but the 
heat was too great." 

Evelyn stared at her guest through eyes of tears. "What happened to him?
You can tell me everything." 

"His plane was hit and he couldn't find anywhere to land. His parachute
was damaged during the dogfight so he ploughed his plane into a German 
staff car as a final act of defiance. We all think that he was very 
brave and you should be proud of his sacrifice." 

Evelyn rose to her full five foot-five in reply. 

"Proud? PROUD? How can I be proud of a dead husband? His place is by my
side. For God's sake I'm expecting his baby in a few weeks. What the 
hell am I going to do now?" 

Her anger was reaching boiling point and the only object available to
dispel her anger was the solitary man and friend before her. She 
lurched at Peter and started to beat him upon his chest in heavy 
punches of love's rage. Peter allowed her to abuse him as a release but 
knew that Evelyn would require more specialist support for the next few 
days. Evelyn ceased her attack and fell into his strong arms. As he 
held her he rang for the doctor to summon medical and emotional 
support. 

The doctor and nurse arrived within the hour and counselled their
patient with love and tenderness. Evelyn was given a mild sedative, 
owing to the baby and placed within their marital bed to rest. A single 
lamp illuminated the room and the nurse remained to offer comfort and 
support. 

During the stillness and darkest part of the night Evelyn awoke suddenly
from her fitful sleep and realised that someone was in the room with 
her. Through the barbiturate haze she recognised the uniform of a staff 
nurse sleeping soundly on the bedroom chair, the product of an 
exhausting day. This sight offered Evelyn some comfort and she rolled 
onto her side to support the weight of her unborn child who had decided 
to start tap dancing through the amniotic fluid. 

Evelyn became aware of a cold hand gently touching her stomach. Her eyes
remained shut as she contemplated why nurses had such cold hands. The 
cold hand started to caress Evelyn's stomach and she knew that this had 
passed beyond medical bounds and she opened her eyes to chastise the 
nurse. 

"Don't say a word, Evelyn. You will wake the nurse and I will have to
leave. It's me, Jimmy. Just listen will you and say nothing. She cannot 
hear my voice only you can. I want you to know that I love you and I 
will always be with you. I will be treading in your last footstep for 
eternity." 

Evelyn saw Jimmy sitting on her their bed dressed in full uniform. His
form was partial yet radiant. His energy lit the room and warmed her 
very soul in delight. 

"Jimmy!" 

The nurse started to move on the chair responding to her patient's voice
but still remained asleep. 

"Look, my love, you must rest now. Our son needs his sleep as well. Know
this; I will always be with you no matter where you are. You may not 
have a mortal husband any longer but a spiritual one will have to do. 
We will talk later. Sleep, sleep..." 

Jimmy rubbed her back just as she liked it. The familiar rhythm sent her
into a deep and restful sleep. 

During the birth of their son, Michael, Jimmy was present at the natural
ordeal supporting his wife. Evelyn was in labour for eight hours and 
was exhausted by the whole process. She lay in the hospital bed 
cradling her son tenderly whilst Jimmy sat on the bed. 

"He's a bonny boy. He looks just like my father but better looking. Well
done mummy!" 

"Jimmy you are such a tease!" Evelyn leant forward to touch her husband
but her hand passed right through him. She so wanted to be hugged yet 
he could not offer this service to her emotional needs. Jimmy's face 
fell realising that he could not physically touch his wife or cradle 
his own infant. He walked away and stared through the window at the 
Kent countryside beyond. 

"Jimmy, it really doesn't matter. I'm just glad that you're with us
right now. We will sort something out," she offered gently. Jimmy 
turned to face her full of pride and joy. 

Five years passed quickly and Evelyn remained in their family home
through thick and thin. She brought up Michael on her own but with 
spiritual support and Jimmy's pension provided some financial benefit. 
Evelyn used to work at the Post Office sorting mail whilst Michael was 
at school to boost her income. She liked this job but had to fight off 
the other men who made their feelings for her clear. Evelyn was still 
young and attractive and several local men had their eye on her. No 
matter how hard they tried she would always dismiss their advances. For 
the more stubborn cases Jimmy would spook them until they made a hasty 
retreat. 

One summer evening in August 1949 Evelyn was washing up in the kitchen
watching Michael play in the garden. He appeared to be talking to 
someone behind the hedge as he clutched his favourite toy, a fighter 
plane. Michael then started to run around the garden carrying the plane 
as though it were flying. Before her eyes the plane took off and flew 
on its own around the garden much to the delight of Michael who danced 
for joy. 

"Jimmy, really!" she laughed. 

When Michael came in for his tea he told his mum all about a man dressed
in a blue uniform who played with him in the garden. Evelyn listened 
with interest and wondered if she should tell her son who this man 
really was. She decided against it as this news might frighten her son. 


For the next few years Michael had an adult playmate but when his tenth
birthday came he no longer spoke of the man. Evelyn realised that his 
growing adulthood prevented him from seeing his ghostly father. She 
grieved at this loss, so did Jimmy. 

When Michael was fifteen he came off his bike on a country lane as he
returned from school. During his recovery Michael told of a strange 
experience. As he lay badly injured in a ditch beside the road a 
tractor came along and suddenly braked alongside him. The farmer 
climbed out of the tractor cursing his machine. Apparently his brakes 
jammed on at this very moment. The farmer then heard Michael's cries of 
pain and assisted him. Neither party saw the concerned father sitting 
in the cab with his foot on the brakes. 

When Michael was at University he started to court Mandy Blenkinsop.
During one evening of merriment the lads decided to go for a swim in 
the river after dark. The combination of alcohol and a strong 
undercurrent caused Michael to get into difficulty. He told Mandy later 
that he was being dragged to the bottom of the river by the current. As 
he struggled under the water he felt a strong arm pull him to the 
surface. He could not see who it was but was glad when he drifted onto 
the safety of the bank. The uniformed officer slipped silently into the 
darkness. 

Jimmy's proudest moment came in 1970 when his son married Mandy at St.
Mary's Church, Benham. He was so proud of both his wife and son as 
their labours came to fruition on this happy day. At the reception 
people commented as to why there was an additional, unfilled place, 
laid at the table. Michael stepped in to defend his mother. 

"This is simply a family tradition. We have always done it and we don't
intend to stop now!" Michael winked at his mother who then winked at 
Jimmy, the holder of the place. The day passed with due formality and 
happiness. Jimmy's heart was full especially as his son was a fully 
trained flight engineer for British Airways. He had followed his 
father's trade willingly but was happy to attend to the mechanics of 
the aircraft rather than fly it. 

During the spring of 1987 Evelyn fell ill with liver cancer. She knew
that her time was near but fought the pain and the constant nagging of 
her son to go into a hospice. She wanted to die in her own bed at home 
with Jimmy. It was her right to do so and she intended to exercise this 
right to her last breath. Michael tried to get time off work but was 
only given a few days, which he spent with his mother, wife and 
children. 

On the 23rd March 1987 Michael returned to work flying the Heathrow -
Los Angeles route. He checked all the flight instruments on the Boeing 
747 prior to take off and fastened his safety belt as the plane, flown 
by Capt Jake Hammond and Co-Pilot Fred Baines took its position at the 
end of the runway. 

The flight followed its normal routine for the first three hours as they
flew over the Atlantic Ocean. The passengers were settling down to a 
film and rest following supper. The stewards and stewardesses were in 
the galley clearing up the supper dishes and preparing to take the duty 
free goods down the aisle. A gunshot tore through the cabin and pierced 
the outer skin of the aircraft. Warning lights flashed on the flight 
deck and Michael flicked the switch to release the passenger's oxygen 
masks before attaching his own air supply. As a matter of standard 
routine Capt Hammond placed the plane in a steep dive to lose altitude 
to stabilise the pressure differential between the cabin and 
atmosphere. 

"What the hell was that?" shouted Capt Hammond. 

"We have lost pressure in the cabin - it's probably a hole. I hope it's
not structural," projected Michael above the noise of rushing air and 
straining engines. 

"I'll go back and take a look," said Fred Baines. He opened the flight
deck door to be greeted by two armed and masked men. They pushed him 
back into the cabin and locked the door behind him. 

In the stillness of Evelyn's bedroom she lay uncomfortably on her bed
with Jimmy by her side. 

"It won't be long now, my love. You will be mine for ever," indicated
Jimmy as he tried to hold his wife's hand in tenderness. 

"Jimmy, I'm not frightened because you are here." Jimmy suddenly looked
up towards the window. "What's the matter?" 

"Michael's in trouble. I've got to go and help him!" 

"It sounds serious." 

"It is. Will you be OK here on your own for a bit?" 

"Of course. Try not to be too long." Jimmy dissolved into the ether.
Evelyn worried about her only son. 

"What do you want?" asked Capt Hammond. 

The younger masked man in an Eastern accent offered his terms, 

"You will fly us to New York at once. If you refuse we will down this
plane with everyone aboard!" 

Capt Hammond, Fred Baines and Michael Barrett looked at each other and
considered their options. The plane had stabilised at 2,000 feet but 
was losing fuel at an alarming rate as the single shot had pierced the 
main fuel tank. Capt Hammond slowly released his safety belt in unison 
with Fred Baines and nodded in signal. They suddenly rose and tackled 
the armed intruders. In the struggle Michael was pushed to the floor 
and four shots rang out damaging flesh and various instruments on the 
panel, one being the automatic pilot. Both captain and co-pilot lay 
unconscious on the cabin floor. Slumped in the corner was one of the 
masked highjackers who had been shot cleanly through the head. The 
plane was now plunging towards the ice-cold waters of the Atlantic 
Ocean. 

Instinctively Michael climbed into the pilot's seat and took the
controls in his hand. The barrel of a pistol pressed firmly into his 
right temple as he brought the plane into level flight. 

"Now don't try any funny business. I will shot you if you don't land
this plane in New York!" 

"I'm not a trained pilot. I can only keep this in level flight. I can't
land this bloody plane, you have seen to that!" 

Suddenly the gun flew out of the highjacker's hand, rose into the air
and landed him a hard blow to the back of the head. He fell to the 
floor on top of the pile of injured bodies. 

"Looks like I got here in the nick of time!" Michael turned to see a
young man dressed in an authentic RAF uniform from the war period. The 
young man climbed into the co-pilot's seat and took the controls. 

"Who the bloody hell are you?" asked Michael trying to regain his
composure. 

"A friend who has come to help. That's all you need to know. You will
have to do all the talking for me. I'll land the plane but please don't 
ask me any more questions." 

Michael radioed New York and informed the control tower that they were
about to make an emergency landing. The plane made its way towards JFK 
Airport at just 2,000 feet. 

During his debriefing the Airport Authorities questioned Michael heavily
about the mysterious man who landed the plane. Michael did his best to 
try and explain why there was no sign of the mystery pilot when the 
plane came to rest on the runway. Michael did describe the pilot well 
but held back one vital piece of information. As the plane came to rest 
the young pilot turned to Michael and said, 

"You did well son. I will always be there for you. Remember the bike
accident, I was there." 

Michael nodded in disbelief. 

"Remember you nearly drowned in the river, it was me who pulled you to
safety. Now I've got to dash, your mother needs me. I'm afraid that you 
will not see both of us for some time. Remember we will always love 
you. Goodbye, son." 

Then his dad left him for a greater, final task. Michael held this
information to his heart, as the authorities would not believe him. He 
had been saved by a miracle to enjoy a long and happy life. He just 
hoped that when his time came his estranged father and divine mother 
would greet him. 

"It's time to go, Evelyn. Please take my hand." 

Jimmy held out his hand and felt a young hand take his. 

"I'm ready, my love. I have waited for this moment a whole lifetime." 

Evelyn rose from the bed and embraced her husband tenderly. As they past
the full-length bedroom mirror the image of a young man and a beautiful 
24-year-old woman glided past as golden dominions. They walked arm in 
arm down the familiar staircase and into the bright light. In tribute a 
squadron of Spitfires flew overhead each performing a victory roll as 
they commenced their final journey into love's eternity. 

( 2002 Tim Callaway - all rights reserved. 

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