Week 31

Jonathan

(Part 1) [This week's "As the Pegasus Flies"] Jonathan showed up a half hour early for his interview. He allowed himself extra time in case he got lost; if he didn't get lost then he'd just use the extra time to have a look around and absorb the atmosphere of the legendary Reader's Digest grounds and building. The place was amazing! The huge brick building was magnificent—a testament to the iconic brand name of Reader's Digest (some things you could always count on, Jonathan thought, Coca Cola never changing its recipe, and Reader's Digest never changing its name). And to think, this is where it all happened. On a daily basis, no less. Jonathan had wanted to be a part of this for as long as he could remember; he finally secured an interview through the friend of a friend who worked here, and he wanted to ace it. He had all his clippings with him, packed tight into his portfolio. He had been building up his writing resume over the years, mostly freelance, but some staff work, too, on the local newspaper in his hometown of Mt. Vernon. He was ready. He took a deep breath and approached the woman behind the desk. She quickly slipped something into the bottom drawer of her desk (her flask, of course), then said. "How may I help you?" "Hello, Ethel," Jonathan said, reading her nameplate. "I have an appointment with Mr. ________, the managing editor of the magazine. My name is Jonathan ________." "Hold on a minute please," Ethel said, picking up the phone. "Yes, a Jonathan ________ is here to see you. Okay, I'll send him in."

(Part 2) Ethel hung up the phone and said, "He's ready to see you." "Great! Thank you. How do I get there?" Ethel stood and pointed as she spoke. "What you want to do is go through this door right here near the funky chair. Then you'll come out this door here." She pointed to the left. "Then you'll be right back here and you'll want to go down this hall right behind me, past the first door and in the second. Which will lead you right back here, on the right near the funky chair again." Jonathan wasn't sure if she was pulling his leg, but he tried to stay with her, held a wary smile on his face. He repeated the directions back to her. "Then what?" he asked. "Well then," Ethel said, "you sit in the chair and wait for Mr. ________ to come and get you." Jonathan smiled again to let her know he was in on the joke. When she didn't crack a smile, he figured she wasn't joking. "Uh, okay. Thanks," he said. He proceeded through the first door. As soon as he was gone, Ethel picked up the phone and called Mr. ________. "It's me. We got a live one!" she said, then returned the phone to its cradle. Jonathan passed her desk twice, then settled into the chair and waited. He was getting nervous, and checked his watch several times, switched his portfolio from hand to hand, felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. When Mr. ________ finally opened the very door near the chair and stepped out into the hall, Jonathan bolted upright as if a fire alarm had sounded. "Come right this way," Mr. ________ said to Jonathan, draping an arm around his shoulder to guide him in the right direction. "The good news is you passed the first test."

(Part 3) They walked down a carpeted hallway that was adorned with intricate crown molding, antique furniture, and expensive, original paintings. This was one classy joint! No wonder it had taken Jonathan so many years to even get an interview; probably no one ever left the company! Bonuses, surprise days off, company outings, and free turkeys at Thanksgiving. Who'd want to give that up? Jonathan followed Mr. ________ into his office, who said, "Have a seat." Jonathan couldn't believe that someone could work in an office that was so fancy. Leather armchairs, an enormous oak desk, curtains on the windows, a fireplace! This room was nicer than Jonathan's apartment—by far. In fact, he would live here instead if he could. He squinted at the painting on the left wall, then nearly fainted. Yup, it was an original Van Gogh. It boggled his mind, when he really stopped to think about it, that publishing short little articles, mostly condensed from other sources, could become such a money maker. Those Wallaces really knew what they were doing! And if some unforeseen thing happened fifty years from now and people forgot how to read, well then the company still had this amazing nest egg of paintings to keep everyone rolling in the dough for centuries to come. Jonathan hadn't even gotten the job yet, but he saw his whole future laid out in front of him: a big house in Scarsdale, a beautiful wife, 2.5 kids, a new car every two years, a fat pension. Retirement in Miami. It was so close, he could taste it! He just needed to ace this interview. "So, tell me a little about yourself," Mr. ________ said. "Well, I," Jonathan started. Then he fell to his knees and hobbled over to Mr. ________. Grabbing his legs he said, "Please, you have to give me this job. I'll do anything! I can start right away! When do I get to see the pegasus? I hear it has magical powers. Can I pet it? Can I? Please!" Mr. ________ smiled, nodded his head. He always loved the enthusiastic interviewees.

(Part 4) [The conclusion to this week's "As the Pegasus Flies"] Jonathan holds his soup bowl with unsteady hands. This isn't good. The server always gives him a little less when his hands shake so much, so it won't spill on the walk to the table. Jonathan wills his hands not to shake. When he gets up to the front of the line his hands remain steady long enough for the man with the ladle to fill the bowl up to the top. Slow even steps get him to the table, where he sits and begins to eat. Thank god for these soup kitchens. He thinks back to his days at Reader's Digest. The glory days—theirs and his. He had a nice house for a while. A wife too. She eventually left. The kids, they never came. The pension came and left. He takes a sip of soup. A little salty for his taste, but beggars can't be choosers. He thinks of that Van Gogh painting from all those years ago. Where is it now? Who owns it? A museum, probably. Maybe he could find out which one and go and gaze upon it one more time before he dies. Jonathan thinks these type of thoughts as he eats, mops up the remaining soup with a slightly stale piece of Italian bread. He feels sleepy, but stands, heads back out into streets of the city. There is only one door in which to exit; he thinks of all those doors that were once open to him when he was a young man. The air outside is bitterly cold, awakening him like a jolt of caffeine. He pulls his tattered overcoat tight around his throat, the warmth of the soup already gone. He makes his way slowly to nowhere in particular, his eyes on the cloudy sky, hoping to see the pegasus once more, too, before he dies.

Nancy and Julia

(Part 1) [This week's "As the Pegasus Flies"] Nancy was bored to tears with her job. She liked the paycheck, though, and the way people responded positively when she told them she worked for Reader's Digest. Everybody knew and loved Reader's Digest! Then, inevitably, they'd ask what she did for them. This is when Nancy would have to get a little vague, or change the subject completely. What the hell did she do for them? Yes, she was part of a whole, the sum is greater than the parts and all that. But packing up register tape? How would this help the company in the long run? Fifty years from now, people would remember the articles that were written, not a cardboard box that was packed up and stored in a basement. She wanted to be part of something that would be remembered! Oh, well. Nancy sighed. She never thought she would be one of those people who disliked their job, and had to grit it out to the weekend, when she could then have fun. At least she had plans with her best friend Julia this weekend. They were going to take off work on Friday and drive out to Idlewild airport to see if they could meet the guys in a new band she and Julia were crazy about. The band were making their first trip to the US from England, so Nancy was confident there wouldn't be too many fans, and she'd be able to get some autographs. And then, for Sunday, Julia scored a pair of tickets to see them perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. This is what kept Nancy going. Something to look forward to. Meanwhile, she packed up another box of register tape, wrote "Feb. 1964" on the side, then began a new box.

(Part 2) Pan Am flight 101 approached New York's Idlewild airport. The Beatles were nervous. They had conquered Germany, then their home country of England. This was their final test. The USA! The home of their idols: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard. The band had a big send off from their fans when they left Heathrow airport, and the boys were excited and confident. But despite this, and despite the fact that "I Want to Hold Your hand" was a hit in America, by the time the plane neared New York the fellows were feeling a little doubtful. "America has everything, why should they want us?" George asked aloud, to no one in particular. Soon the pilot sent word to them that a big crowd awaited them. As the plane taxied to the gate, John said, "Just look at that!" More than three thousand fans were in a frenzy at the sight of the Beatles' plane. "They must be out of their minds," Ringo said. "Well, bloody hell," Paul added. Their manager Brian came up front to talk to them. "You boys up for a press conference?" he said. "I've been told there are over two hundred reporters present. Can't buy this kind of publicity." Paul said, "This is great!" "Let me guess," John said, "They're going to ask us about our bloody hair." George, still looking out the window, said. "Look at all those screaming girls!" When the plane came to a stop, the boys were ushered into the Pan Am arrivals building for their impromptu press conference. Amongst the two hundred or so reporters and photographers were Nancy and Julia, Nancy having gotten them in with her Reader's Digest credentials. The fun was about to begin...

(Part 3) The cynical, jaded New York press took an instant like to the cocky, cheeky, young Liverpool musicians. Their confidence and charisma actually made the press conference fun. The reporters fired off question after question, and the boys (they were so hard to tell apart) had quick answers. Can you sing for us? "No, we need money first." Have you decided when you're going to retire? "Any minute now." Julia nudged Nancy, whispered in her ear, "Ask them a question!" "What could I possibly ask them?" Nancy said. "I don't know—just the first thing that pops into your head." "OK," Nancy said and raised her hand. When she was called on, she said, "Hello, I'm Nancy from Reader's Digest magazine. Have you fellows ever seen a real, live pegasus?" The noise in the room abated for a few seconds as the question floated there (this is how the rumor of RD having a pegasus started). Finally, Paul said, "You're daft!" Then Ringo said, "I've seen a unicorn, but never a pegasus." John said, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Nancy, embarrassed, said, "Nevermind." Then the real reporters resumed asking their serious questions. What do you call that haircut? "Arthur." But John had nodded to someone in his entourage, who went over and escorted Nancy and Julia outside to a waiting limo. Ten minutes later the boys ran from the building and hopped into the back of the limo, giggling like schoolboys causing trouble. (Which, of course, they nearly were.) "So, where do you have this pegasus stashed?" John asked, pushing the bangs out of his eyes. "Pleasantville," Nancy said. John leaned toward the driver. "You heard the lady," he said, "Pleasantville it is!" The limo took off, rounded a corner, and soon hundreds of screaming and crying teenage girls draped themselves over the car, pounded on the windows, and shouted nonsense. The car gained speed and quickly the hysterical fans were behind them. It took an hour to get to the RD campus, but the time went fast. The radio was playing Beatles songs non-stop, the boys were buzzing, and the excitement was palpable. Before they knew it, the limo was pulling to a stop in front of the Rotunda entrance. Lorenzo was outside grabbing a smoke. Everyone piled out of the car. "Buon giorno, Beatles," Lorenzo said.


(Part 4) Nancy liked to walk the grounds of Reader's Digest during her lunch hour. For exercise, but also just to be outside in the fresh air. She loved the garden, where fellow employees got to grow their vegetables and flowers, but she also loved going farther back into the woods—and past that where there was a grassy meadow. This is where she first glimpsed the pegasus, Peggy. The pegasus was no longer held captive, having been freed years before by Lola and Jake. But like a homing pigeon, Peggy always returned to Reader's Digest to graze. The pegasus had magical powers that brought good luck to whoever touched her. Lila and DeWitt Wallace were perfect examples of this, as was Mink Stole Suzy. Nancy said, "Legend has it that if you touch the pegasus, you'll have good luck." The Beatles already had their own magic and luck, of course. Nancy had just asked the Beatles a question, off the top of her head, as Julia had suggested. Now it was all this. She had no idea if the pegasus would even be here! The boys had boundless energy, and once loosed upon the RD campus, it was hard to get them under control. While Lorenzo went to the cafeteria to cook them a nice hot meal, they ran around aimlessly looking for the pegasus before Nancy could tell them about the secret meadow.

Once they had a focus and destination, John said, "Ringo, use your big schnoz to sniff out the pegasus!" With Ringo leading the way, they--The Beatles, Nancy, and Julia--tramped through the woods and emerged into the sunlit meadow. It was a chilly early February day, but it felt warmer here. "Come on little pegasus, don't be shy!" Paul said. They all looked to the sky, and sure enough, off in the distance a pegasus approached. Peggy's strong wings brought her directly above them quickly, and soon she was on the ground, pulling her wings to her side and snorting happily. Peggy was excited! She had sensed the arrival of the four Liverpudlians, and hurried back to RD as soon as she could. She knew the lads were charmed, and hoped some of their luck could rub off on her. She took a few tentative steps toward the group, and they did they same. The four lads reached out, and gently petted the pegasus...

Sam

Sam had outgrown his job. As much as he loved being part of the Reader's Digest team, he knew it was time to move on, for career advancement. He'd miss his friends—Horace, William, Hilda, Lorenzo, all of them. But they'd still be his friends, right? He just wouldn't see them on a daily basis. After setting up this whole system here at RD, Sam wanted to go where the action really was: IBM. And they were nearby, too! He wouldn't even have to move. He knew computers were the future, but he also knew it would be hard to leave the cushy, lucrative publishing industry for one that was still in its infancy. But the lure of being part of something new and innovative was just too tempting. Sam could help shape the world! He could be part of something historic. He foresaw huge computer systems like this in every home, computers that would run the whole household. Appliances, climate control, garage doors, alarm systems, and on and on. The potential was endless! He had an in at IBM, a contact that would almost guarantee he'd get hired. This was what Sam was thinking, what he was deciding on this Monday morning, as he planned out the next phase of his life, when the new hire, Melissa, walked in the door for her first day. "Hi," she said, "Are you Sam? You're supposed to train me. I'm Melissa!" All Sam's plans immediately went out the window. She was beautiful! His circuits overloaded, his hard drive froze, and his interface twitched uncontrollably. "Absdk heuitdhy," he said, incoherently, but also sweetly. He smiled and shook her hand. She smiled back. Working at Reader's Digest for the next thirty years started to seem like a good option.

As the Pegasus Flies entered in 2010 USA Book News Awards

As the Pegasus Flies has been officially entered in the seventh annual 2010 USA Book News National Best Book Awards contest, Short Story Fiction category. From the website: The National “Best Books 2010” Awards are specifically designed to garner MEDIA COVERAGE & BOOK SALES for the winners & finalists throughout the 2010 holiday retail season and 2011! Winners & finalists will be announced October 2010. Stay tuned here for the results!

Meanwhile, As the Pegasus Flies is available for only $7.50 on Amazon.