Katie's Journey to Love (29 page)

“Then it's a first for most of you,” Nelly chirped. “And don't worry! It'll be fun.”

With the talk of the plane ride out of the way, the girls chattered as the miles passed. Nelly had the van out on the interstate toward Philadelphia a few minutes after half-past two.

Katie's mind wandered to Ben. He'd promised to be at the airport to see her off. Wasn't that a ways for him to go just for that? The goodbye the other night and again on Sunday would have been fine with her. But that was how Ben was. So nice and always going out of his way to make her feel special. He'd said his carpentry crew was working away from home this week on a job near Philly. He would have the driver take him over to see her off. His boss not only allowed this, Ben had assured her, he even thought it was a good idea. The boss was apparently the romantic sort. Katie smiled at the thought. Ben was the real romantic.

A thought flitted through Katie's mind. What would the other girls think when Ben showed up? She hadn't thought of that before. All of them appeared to have made their goodbyes to loved ones at home. Maybe she ought to say something so they wouldn't be too surprised. Katie didn't ponder the question long. “Ben Stoll said he was coming to see me off at the airport. I hope that's not a problem.”

Nancy's face lit up with a smile. “He's your boyfriend, right? The one who brings you to the youth gatherings?”

“
Yah
,” Katie said. The admission sent a thrill through her.

“Katie must be so special,” Margaret said, sounding like she was a little jealous. “You ought to see how that boy dotes on her. And he's so handsome!”

Sharon giggled. “Margaret, you shouldn't be jealous.”

“I'm not!” Margaret said, making a funny face at her friend. “I was just hoping Lonnie would catch a few hints. But he hasn't so far.”

“We shouldn't compare among ourselves,” Nancy said, sounding quite wise. “Look at me. I've never even had a boy ask me home.”

“That's because they don't know what they're missing,” Nelly said from the driver's seat. “Boys nowadays don't have the sense they did in my day. Back then Nancy would have a boyfriend already.”

“Nancy hasn't met the right man yet,” Sharon spoke up. “Maybe she'll meet him on this trip.”

“Dream on, sister,” Nancy said, and they all laughed.

“Philly airport coming up!” Nelly called out soon afterward, beginning to follow the airport exit signs. “Any last thing anyone needs before we get to the airport?”

“I had lunch,” Nancy said. “How about everybody else?”

“I did too,” Margaret spoke up. Sharon and Katie nodded they had too.

Nelly took the last exit for the airport. Minutes later they were at the front entrance of US Airways and pulling their suitcases out of the van. The buzz and racket filled Katie's ears. Katie shivered, looking around her.

Where was Ben going to meet them? Inside somewhere, he'd said. Well, hopefully he knew his way around here, because she hadn't the slightest idea where she was going. If he didn't show up soon, she would have no way of finding him. This place was huge!

“Goodbye, Mom!” Margaret was giving her mom a last hug and wiping away a quick tear.

“Now, are you sure you know how to get where you're going inside?” Nelly asked.

“Sure. Once we check in at the ticket counter and check our baggage, we just go to the gate they tell us to and wait until boarding,” Nancy said. “Remember, I've done this before.”

“Okay, then,” Nelly said, still a bit dubious. “The Lord bless all of you.” She then gave each girl a hug, ending with Katie.

The noise of the jets roaring overhead seemed to get worse by the minute. Looking toward an extra loud sound, Katie saw a huge plane pass over the terminal building and climb into the sky.

“We'll be on something like that soon,” Sharon spoke into Katie's ear. “I can hardly wait!”

Watching the plane rise into the air, Katie gathered her courage. If something like that could stay in the air once, then it could again even with her on it. She would just have to pray really hard for
Da Hah
to quiet her pounding heart. He'd been blessing this trip so far, and He would surely continue to do so.

“Let's go!” Nancy hollered, leading the way inside.

Katie hung on to her baggage, using the wheels like
Mamm
had demonstrated on the living room floor. It worked better than she'd imagined. It was certainly easier than carrying the heavy suitcase. Katie wondered how
Mamm
knew about pulling suitcases on wheels.
Mamm
couldn't have traveled much, at least not after she was born. Well,
Mamm
was simply full of surprises—that much was for sure.

“Katie!” a man's voice called out.

Katie looked up and smiled. “Ben, you did come!” She stopped in her tracks.

“I told you I would.”

“Well, if it isn't Mr. Charming himself,” Margaret said with a grin.

“It's so good that you could come,” Sharon said. “Katie told us you might be here.”

“I wouldn't have missed it for the world,” Ben said. “Seeing Katie off on her great adventure. I might have to do this myself someday. Katie, I'm afraid I can't stay to see you board and fly through the air,” Ben said. “I have to get back to the job site. But I wanted to say goodbye one more time.”

Katie's face fell. “You have to leave already?” Then she smiled. “Of course I don't want to keep you.” She wanted to hug and kiss him right then and there, but that wouldn't have been decent. Kissing him when they were alone was questionable enough. And they clearly weren't going to be alone in this crowded airport.

“Maybe I can walk you to the security checkpoint,” Ben said.

“That would be nice,” Katie said. She followed the lead of the other three girls as they stood in line and then approached the ticket counter where they were given their boarding passes and their bags were checked. When the agent asked to see Katie's passport she winced as she handed it over. The flight agent stared at her photo, and Katie was relieved when the lady handed it back to her.

Ben was still waiting when they finished, and they all followed Nancy as she led the way deeper into the airport terminal. Ben took Katie's hand, and they lagged behind the others. Katie felt sure everyone was staring at them holding hands in public. It was so embarrassing, but no one seemed to be paying attention.

Moments later Katie knew her face must be flaming red when Margaret turned around with a mischievous smile. “If the two of you want to sneak around the corner for a quick kiss, we'll understand.”

Katie gasped, but Sharon and Nancy laughed as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Ben pulled back on her hand.
He was taking Margaret seriously. Was he really going to kiss her right in front of all these people passing by?

At the next corner, with Margaret laughing over her shoulder, Ben held Katie back. He pulled her closer to him. “I won't see you for awhile, you know. I have to kiss you one more time.”

Katie gave in, even with all the people walking past.

“Have a good trip now,” Ben said, letting her go.

Katie reached up and gave him one last, quick kiss before turning around and running after the other girls, her carry-on banging against her side.

“Look who just got kissed!” Margaret teased when Katie caught up.

Katie looked away as her friends laughed good-naturedly. The kiss was well worth the teasing, Katie decided. Kissing Ben was fast becoming something she couldn't resist.

Chapter Thirty-One

Hours later Katie awoke with a start, gasping as she opened her eyes. In the window seat beside her on the plane, Margaret smiled at Katie's startled look. She reached over to squeeze Katie's arm. “I'm glad you finally got some sleep. I declare, I haven't slept more than an hour yet.”

“Are we still over the ocean?” Katie glanced around, trying to slow the pounding of her heart. Sharon and Nancy were in seats across the aisle, both of them with their eyes closed and heads leaning against the seat backs.

“I don't know.” Margaret lifted the window shade a few inches and peered out into the darkness. “I can't tell.”

“What time is it?”

Margaret glanced at her watch. “Around midnight—our time at home, anyway.”

Katie calculated the time difference in her head. “If we're to land at eight in Zurich, that will be in two hours. I do feel wide-awake. That's strange.”

Margaret leaned back in her seat with a smile. “I only know I can't see straight or sleep with the bouncing of this plane.”

Katie fell silent, feeling the vibrations of the great plane more intensely now. She trembled to think they were miles above the ocean, flying like the birds, only they were inside the belly of this metal thing, whereas birds got to fly with their heads in the open air. Perhaps it was better this way. Seeing down that far to the waters below wouldn't be
gut
. She might throw up or die of fright.
Da Hah
must not have made mankind to fly or He would have given them wings. And yet she was doing it.

Beside her Margaret had closed her eyes, seeming to drift off—at least for a few moments. The truth was Katie needed the sleep herself. They had a full day scheduled ahead of them once they arrived at Zurich. When the plane landed, they would leap forward in time six hours. How could six hours of the day just vanish? Katie wondered. And yet she was about to see it happen right before her eyes. The plane had lifted off around six o'clock in the evening back in Philadelphia, and they would be in the air only eight hours. That left six hours lost somewhere. It was a very strange feeling indeed.

Katie's mind flashed back to the takeoff in Philadelphia. She'd clutched the sides of her seat, hardly daring to breathe. She had survived as they took off with a mighty roar of the engines and an awful rush along the ground. She'd watched out of Margaret's little window, even though Margaret had advised against it. The truth was Margaret had been a little disturbed herself since this was her first flight too.

With a last bump from below, the plane left the ground and rose ever higher, until the automobiles and houses on the ground had grown smaller than Joel's little play animals—the ones he stored in the basement now that he was too old to play with them. Katie stared out of the window for a long time, watching
the objects on the ground. It must be something to be
Da Hah
, she figured, and look down on all these things He had made. From up here it would be easy to reach down and push things around. Only
Da Hah
didn't push things around. He worked
gut
things in the lives of the people He loved.

A flight attendant in her fancy uniform came down the aisle. “May I get you something, dear? A pillow maybe?” she asked.

“
Yah
.” Katie nodded. “That would be
gut
.”

“I'll be right back,” the woman said.

Moments later she returned, and Katie tucked the pillow under her head. It did feel better, she had to admit. Drowsiness swept over her, and she must have drifted off to sleep. When she awoke, Margaret was tugging on her arm and pointing out the window. “Wake up, Katie! You have to see this.”

Rubbing her eyes, Katie sat up to see daylight streaming in through Margaret's little window. Beyond the glass lay a long ridge of snowy mountains, ragged and beautiful in the distance.

“Those have to be the Swiss Alps!” Margaret gushed. “Or the French ones perhaps. Aren't they just awesome?”

“So we must be in Switzerland?” Katie asked, leaning over for a closer look.

“I don't know. But we're over land at least.” Margaret leaned away from the window so Katie could see better. “Those houses down there. Have you ever seen anything like them?”

“It must be the land of our forefathers,” Katie said, sitting back in her seat. Excitement was welling up inside her. She must always remember this first sighting!

Over the loudspeaker came a man's voice speaking in English. “Ladies and gentleman, we are now approaching the Zurich airport. We'll be landing in approximately thirty minutes. Please observe the seat belt sign and stay in your seats until we arrive at the terminal, as we may encounter a bit of turbulence on the way down.
Your flight attendants will be coming around for a last-minute check, and your cooperation will be much appreciated. Thank you for flying US Airways out of Philadelphia to Zurich, Switzerland. We hope to have the pleasure of serving you again.”

“It's actually happening!” Katie whispered to Margaret as the man's voice went on to repeat the instructions in German. Then Katie stopped to listen, and her mouth fell open. She could understand most of what was being said! Of course, she'd just heard the words in English, so perhaps that helped. Still, this was also an amazing thing. She really was coming back to the land of her forefathers.

“Hang on!” Margaret said as the plane bounced through some turbulence.