3. An Aussie In New York: A Very Romantic Encounter
I found a bar and paid a king’s ransom for a beer in a paper cup, a sandwich and a large iced donut.
An official took pity on us and raided a plane parked outside for the night, kindly distributing blankets and pillows amongst us.
I struggled to get comfortable curled up on hard seats with inconvenient arms.
In the hollow silence of the almost deserted airport some clown started playing a wailing trumpet, echoing the mood of our small marooned group as we prepared for a long sleepless night.
Sleepless in Chicago.
A few cheery souls began singing.
Outside the rain kept pelting down streaking against the glass walls of the airport.
As I tried to get some sleep, I imagined I was Columbus bravely sailing across a vast ocean to a New World, full of anticipation.
Certainly we had crossed different oceans in different times. Yet I had no intention of conquering the natives although, come to think of it, maybe I had.
Throughout the night I had allowed my thoughts to turn to the woman I’d be meeting for the first time when I finally set foot on terra firma. And then what?
Like Columbus, I too was anxious to know if the natives were friendly.
Having taken, it seemed, almost as long as the voyages of Columbus, I arrived on the east coast of America, a strange new world for me with no idea what to expect.
Within seconds of stepping into the passenger lounge my fears were allayed.
Yes, the natives were indeed friendly.
(A detailed description of our meeting for the very first time at Newark Airport can be found at Chapter 15.)
For six very romantic months a long way from home, as you will see, I was the guest of a beautiful Brooklyn-born schoolteacher from New Jersey.
For six eventful months this Aussie down on his luck found himself living the good life in a luxury fourteenth floor apartment just across the Hudson from New York City, in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge, living the kind of romantic adventure one only expects to find in a Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie.
Shortly before my departure I met a friend of my friend, a gifted psychic medium, whose path I seemed destined to cross.
One night, in response to my concerns about returning home to an uncertain future, she had my undivided attention when she confided: “Your top priority should be to write your book.”
Book?
What book?
Well, this book.
Want to read the whole story? Click here!
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Neil Smith has written extensively on life (and how to deal with it) including 3 non-fiction books and numerous blogs. To read more CLICK HERE.
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Illustration by Jeff 'Wizard of Draws' Bucchino at www.cartoonclipart.com
Note: Illustrations are used only in this blog and are not included in the book
Note: Illustrations are used only in this blog and are not included in the book
