K-Pax (64 page)
That'
s
no
t
entirel
y
true
.
I
didn'
t
pres
s
hi
m
becaus
e
I
wa
s
afrai
d
h
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
tel
l
u
s
h
e
wa
s
gay
.
It
i
s
somethin
g
a
fathe
r
doesn'
t
ordinaril
y
wan
t
t
o
hear-mos
t
father
s
ar
e
heterosexual-an
d
I'
m
sur
e
his
mother
,
wh
o
wil
l
no
t
b
e
satisfie
d
wit
h
les
s
tha
n
eigh
t
grandchildren
,
fel
t
th
e
sam
e
way.
Apparentl
y
motivate
d
b
y
a
conversatio
n
wit
h
prot
,
Fre
d
decide
d
t
o
com
e
ou
t
wit
h
it
.
Bu
t
i
t
wasn'
t
to
tel
l
m
e
abou
t
hi
s
sexua
l
orientation
.
Th
e
thin
g
h
e
ha
d
trie
d
t
o
brin
g
u
p
al
l
thos
e
years
,
an
d
couldn't
,
was
hi
s
deep-seate
d
fea
r
o
f
flying!
I
hav
e
know
n
dentist
s
wh
o
quak
e
a
t
th
e
sigh
t
o
f
a
dril
l
an
d
surgeon
s
wh
o
ar
e
terrifie
d
t
o
g
o
unde
r
the
knife
.
Sometime
s
that'
s
wh
y
peopl
e
ge
t
int
o
thos
e
fields-it'
s
a
for
m
o
f
whistlin
g
i
n
th
e
dark
.
Bu
t
I
had
neve
r
encountere
d
a
n
airlin
e
pilo
t
wh
o
wa
s
afrai
d
t
o
fly
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
wh
y
o
n
Eart
h
h
e
ha
d
decide
d
o
n
that profession
,
an
d
h
e
tol
d
m
e
this
:
I
ha
d
mentione
d
a
t
dinne
r
year
s
befor
e
tha
t
phobia
s
coul
d
b
e
treate
d
b
y
a
gradua
l
acclimatio
n
t
o
th
e
condition
s
tha
t
triggere
d
them
,
an
d
ha
d
give
n
som
e
examples
,
suc
h
a
s
fea
r
of
snakes
,
o
f
closet
s
and
,
yes
,
o
f
flying
.
I
ha
d
take
n
hi
m
wit
h
m
e
t
o
a
conferenc
e
nea
r
Disneylan
d
whe
n
he
wa
s
a
boy
,
havin
g
n
o
ide
a
h
e
wa
s
apprehensiv
e
abou
t
th
e
flight.
Tha
t
wa
s
wh
y
h
e
wen
t
t
o
th
e
airpor
t
th
e
da
y
afte
r
h
e
graduate
d
fro
m
hig
h
schoo
l
an
d
bega
n
t
o
take
flyin
g lessons-t
o
wor
k
ou
t
th
e
proble
m
o
n
hi
s
own
.
I
t
didn'
t
help
,
bu
t
h
e
continue
d
th
e
trainin
g
unti
l
h
e
had
soloe
d
an
d
flow
n
cross-countr
y
an
d
passe
d
hi
s
fligh
t
test
.
Eve
n
afte
r
al
l
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
stil
l
afrai
d
t
o
fly
.
So
h
e
figure
d
th
e
onl
y
thin
g
t
o
d
o
wa
s
t
o
enrol
l
i
n
a
n
aeronautica
l
schoo
l
an
d
becom
e
a
professiona
l
pilot
.
He
obtaine
d
hi
s
commercia
l
license
,
becam
e
a
n
instructor
,
haule
d
cancele
d
check
s
al
l
ove
r
th
e
Eastern
seaboard
,
usuall
y
i
n
th
e
middl
e
o
f
th
e
nigh
t
an
d
ofte
n
i
n
ba
d
weather
,
an
d
afte
r
a
coupl
e
o
f
year
s
o
f
that
h
e
wa
s
a
s
horrifie
d
a
s
eve
r
a
t
th
e
prospec
t
o
f
leavin
g
terr
a
firma
.
The
n
h
e
go
t
hi
s
ai
r
transpor
t
"ticket,
"
as
h
e
calle
d
it
,
an
d
wen
t
t
o
wor
k
fo
r
Unite
d
Airlines
.
Now
,
fiv
e
year
s
later
,
afte
r
a
brie
f
conversatio
n
with
prot
,
h
e
ha
d
finall
y
com
e
t
o
m
e
fo
r
help.
W
e
wer
e
a
lon
g
tim
e
dow
n
i
n
th
e
famil
y
room
,
playin
g
Ping-Pon
g
an
d
throwin
g
dart
s
an
d
shooting
poo
l
a
s
w
e
talked
.
Nin
e
year
s
a
pilo
t
an
d
h
e
stil
l
ha
d
nightmare
s
abou
t
plungin
g
t
o
Eart
h
fro
m
awesome
heights
,
takin
g
foreve
r
t
o
fal
l
throug
h
empt
y
space
,
fallin
g
an
d
fallin
g
an
d
neve
r
reachin
g
th
e
ground.
