A Flight To London and..Weather With You.
He played concerts (in 1971) all over America - in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington..Just look at the map for yourself..I have no idea how flying in the 70s in the US looked like..but..it must have been very tiring. And in 1972 DC flew for the first time to Europe...On my way back home I had to spend 4 hours at Djerba Airport..and to kill the time I wrote a short story..But maybe a song first..about holiday..this time not DC's but I'm sure he loved that great song too..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag8XcMG1EX4
A FLIGHT TO LONDON ( a short story written at Djerba Airport on a very early morning of June 17th )
She could't stop staring at the boy..no, he wasn't a boy, but she'd never seen a grown up man looking like him...And those knee length furry boots..She'd have liked such herself..And to say the truth also such lashes..He came on board last , and just for a moment pushed lower his huge shades..those lashes , incredibly long and thick.. left her speechless..Of course she managed to say 'Welcome aboard' , after all she was 25 and working as a stewardess she saw many beautiful and known people, especially on that route , Paris- London. Very elegant ladies, handsome rich men, politicians, lawyers, journalists, actors and singers...But to which category he belonged to ? She watched him walking to his seat at the rear of the plane. A black short coat, a small backpack, jeans..boots..,he was rather short and very slim..long straight legs..long light brown hair, longer than her own..
- 'Jane..wake up girl!' the other, older stewardess hold her elbow for a moment 'he's too young for you.' she whishered to her ear. -'Who?'- , - 'Please , Jane..'- , -' Those boots Mary ,I've been just watching his boots .' - , -'Boots..indeed. Enough. We have work to do.'-
He stretched his legs and under the shades closed his eyes. 'The force of habit' thought , he wasn't sleepy at all, but last year he learnt to go to sleep on each of those countless flights. He wondered for a moment how many..Maybe 100 ..or more... He stopped counting them, flights and concerts alike many months ago , and remembered only those..eventful , like that flight to Seattle for the first ever concert when he'd thought they would be killed and he didn't have to humilate himself and sing..It was nearly a year ago..Just 11 months and he felt like they were years not months..11 hard and difficult years..of hell. No one had told him how hard it could have been. To perform when he felt so unwell or to smile when Ricky died. Sure..fans understood his loss. He got just mountains of best wishes and 'real condolences because of your dog' as that parasite Laufer had told him..'The kids really love you Dave.'. He really hated that man...But the worst was..the worst was to pretend that he didn't care when she'd broken with him..she really didn't want him..
-'Coffee? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up..' and eyes..so beautiful but also tired and sad.
-'That's ok, I haven't slept..Have you got tea ? You know, good strong tea with a slice of lemon and a drop of honey..?- She smiled too..An American and so soft spoken..amazing. 'I will see what I can do..sir'- they both smiled again.- 'David. Just David..'
The tea was great. He was fed up with Italian and French coffee. Of course the food was great and skiing and new friends he made and ..girls. He's already forgotten their names, but remembered that they helped him just for a while forget ...Enough . The holiday was great, he felt so free and easy. Only once a small Australian boy recognized him at an American Express bureau in Rome. A crowd..people staring at him..Ruth told him that already the story about his stolen passport and money had been written about everywhere at home. 'A teen idol robbed in Rome' . Hahaha. A small boy went to Europe without mummy.' F...with them. It didn't spoil him the holiday.
The plane was starting to land. It was a very short flight, he 'd have loved to talk more with that girl. Such a nice face, maybe she would stay in London with him, he is going to be busy but..'What I'm thinking about??' Just an ordinary girl , pretty but a lot of glamorous willing women are waiting for him there. And no talking is needed..Everything is so boring.
He'd waited for everybody to left before he took his backpack and went to the exit door. The stewardess looked at him with a strange new look on her face. Suddenly he heard a noise outside. Screaming and shouting..many voices and police sirens.. - 'What's going on?' he asked the girl. - 'I don't know..But tell me ..who are you?' David looked down. Some police officers were standing and looking up, waiting for him to come down..One pointed a finger at David and shouted :
- 'Mr Cassidy !'You are the one that caused all this!!' - 'Excuse me ? Are you talking to me?' - 'We can't even bring you through customs!- 'But..my baggage' - 'Forget about it ! There are thousands of mad teeny boppers at the airport ! Thousands of fans! We have to smuggle you somehow by a back exit. Hurry up! A car and police escort waiting for you outside!'
They were walking very fast through the part of the airport that was thought secure..but suddenly someone started screaming;"DAVID!!! He is here!' People , a huge crowd ..people started stampeding. Police officers started running and screaming too. "Go! Go! Go! Faster!!' They were running with David down the steel stairs..there was an awful noise but suddenly they stopped for a moment because he started laughing just uncontrollably..Everything was so surreal..In one moment he was happy and free just like any normal person.. and in another .. he was like..a chased animal..-'Don't stop!! Run! Run for your life!'
At last he was pushed into the back of the Daimler. There was someone inside, from Bell. Dick Leahy. And he said -Hello, David. Welcome to London'..'
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