11.  Up, Up and Away
 By Gavin Trevain

 Funeral for a Friend

 J lays a single yellow rose on the casket before it is lowered into the ground.

 He sees the pain etched in the faces of her family but he is still too numb to
 feel.  As the priest finishes the service, he ambles over to offer his
 condolences.  He puts his arm around the young woman he had accompanied home on
 the Concorde from New York.  Monique is still trembling as he holds her.  He
 moves to Michelle and then hugs Serge before dropping to his knees.

 He stares into his goddaughter's eyes - eyes that do not yet understand - before
 wrapping his arms around her.  He holds her close as her tiny hands squeeze his
 neck, not wanting to let go.

 "Where is mama, Uncle J?" the tiny voice whispers in his ear.

 J can hardly bear to look at her as he struggles to gather his thoughts.  He
 draws her hands from behind his neck and clasps them in front of her as he looks
 into her eyes.  "She is with God and the angels."

 "Is mama an angel, too?"

 "Yes, she is," J chokes.

 "Does she have wings now?"

 "Absolutely.  They're made from the finest fabric in heaven."

 "Can she fly, Uncle J?"

 "I think the angels have to give her some lessons first."

 The young girl looks disappointed.  "Do you think she could teach me to fly?"

 "You mean like this?"  J raises her above his head and twirls her around.

 "Whee!" giggles the young girl.

 "I have an idea," J says suddenly, as he sets her down on terra firma.  He waves
 to Serge as he heads toward the small chapel.

 "I think we should say a prayer for mama, don't you think?"

 "Yes," his goddaughter considers.  "I think I'll pray for her to learn to fly so
 she can come visit me.  I miss her already."

 J lights a candle and allows the youngster to hold it and light a second candle
 on the altar.  He kneels down, bows his head and says a silent prayer.  Out of
 the corner of his eye, he watches the young girl follow his motions.  A little
 later, he carries her out to her family and friends.

 Much later at the family residence, J says his good-byes.  Holding something
 behind his back, he walks over to the little girl.  He sees the natural
 disappointment in her eyes as he explains he has to leave.

 "Are you going to heaven, too, Uncle J?"

 "Not yet, my darling little one," J interjects.  "I'm going back home."

 "To America?"

 "Yes.  But before I leave, I have something for you."

 The little girl's eyes glisten as she looks at the large rectangular package, no
 thicker than a chocolate box, wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with white
 twine ending in a neat bow.  "Is this a present for me?"

 "Yes, it is a very special gift because it belonged to mama when she was a young
 woman."

 "Can I open it, Uncle J?"

 "Maybe you should wait a while..."

 "Why?"

 "Save it for a rainy day, my darling one.  Save it for a day when you are sad
 and you need cheering up."

 "But I'm sad now."

 "Yes, I know," J chokes.  There are no words to explain to a six-year old why
 she has lost both her father and her mother.  "But you need to open it when you
 are alone because it is a magic gift just for you."

 "Oh?" she says, a little puzzled.

 "You must promise to keep it always.  Put it on your dresser now and rush back
 to give me some big hugs and kisses."

 J holds her a long time aloft in his arms.

 Free Man in Paris

 It is Monday, April 19, 1999 - the day after the funeral.  J uses the remaining
 hours before his afternoon flight to reflect as he walks through the streets of
 the City of Lights.

 These are the same streets where days earlier young French people were
 protesting military action against another European dictator with blood on his
 hands.  And there are no lights in the city now - just the faint glow of
 memories of his grandfather's stories.

 J wonders what it was like on that night of August 24-25, 1944 when Captain
 Dronne and the tanks Romilly, Champaubert, and Montmirail rumbled through the
 Port de Gentilly to the square in front of the Hotel De Ville.  The Forces
 Francaises de l'Interieur, under the command of Colonel Rol-Tanguay's 2nd
 Armored Division, liberated Paris, forcing General Dietrich von Choltitz, who
 was hunkered down in the Hotel Meurice, to surrender.  J wonders, too, about all
 the men from foreign lands who sacrificed life and limb to free Paris and,
 eventually, all of Europe.  How many French people were aware of Hitler's plan
 to decimate the city when he heard that it had fallen?  Were it not for General
 Choltitz and General Spiedel, who refused to carry out Hitler's orders, what
 state would Paris be in today?

 J thinks back to the anxious voice of Monique on the telephone that night.  It
 was a collect call from the New York hospital to which Madame X had been rushed
 with a terrible headache.  At least, it was over soon, J surmises.  An aneurysm
 had ended her life - a life that had not yet reached the celebration of its
 fortieth birthday.  J had come to Monique's aid immediately and had made all the
 necessary arrangements for her stepmother with a calm that belied the turmoil of
 his soul.  As he sits on a park bench, the irony of the lyrics of the Joni
 Mitchell song hits him like the blast of a mortar.

 J drifts back to the times he shared with her - joyous times, blissful times,
 loving times.  He stops by a sidewalk florist and buys two yellow roses.  He
 crosses the flowers securing them with a small wire twist tie.  He takes a walk
 to a bridge on the River Seine, where they used to stroll as lovers.  He casts
 the flowers out on to the river and watches the current carry them away.  As
 they drift slowly out of sight and J is ready to turn and walk away, a brilliant
 beam of light bathes the buds in a brilliance that warms J's heart.

 Letting Go

 The rain is pounding the city as J gets to his apartment.  J sets his bags by
 the door, not bothering to unpack.  He considers coffee but decides against it
 as he pushes the chair to the window, hoping the claps of thunder will drown out
 the thoughts in his head.  It finally hits him and J slides to the floor, the
 tears welling inside him for so long now unleashing themselves with the fury of
 a prairie thunderstorm.

 K cries as she looks out her window.  She regrets not meeting Madame X and, more
 so, her petty bout of jealousy.  She cries for J who has lost a good friend and
 feels the depth of his sorrow even though he is miles away.

 On the opposite coast, Daniel Majewski, Sr. tries to choke back the tears as he
 reads the letter from his son again.  A proud immigrant, who had started
 penniless and made a fortune, he worries about his legacy.  His greatest desire
 is to groom junior to take over the business but his son seems intent to go his
 own way.  How can he be so ungrateful?

 Nadia cries for her father cannot accept her.  The young man in the equation to
 whom she was betrothed ended up being more understanding and behaved honorably
 by not revealing her secret to her family.  But Nadia finally gained the courage
 to find the words to say what she had to say.

 Nadia's mother tries hard to understand but it is her father who feels the sting
 of her betrayal - a betrayal that has brought dishonor upon their family.  He
 looks outside the bedroom window through his one good eye unable to understand
 the younger generation's lack of respect for tradition.  He is still too numb to
 absorb the fact that his daughter is not normal.  And it is not that he does not
 love his adopted country greatly.  In fact, Tranh Nguyen prays everyday and
 gives thanks to his unknown savior who heard his cry for help, as he lay
 helpless on the riverbank in the Mekong Delta over thirty years ago.

 Olga cries for her lover.  She rarely cries for herself anymore.  She has shed
 too many tears getting over those weekend visits to her bedroom - visits from
 age six to sixteen, when she'd finally run away - by a man who from the very
 first moment that he violated her, had relinquished any right to be called her
 father - or even, a man.

 Much later, J turns on the television to catch up on the news.  His tear-stained
 face mirrors the windowpane of his apartment.  J feels like it must be raining
 all across America.

 The Gift

 Serge stops by his stepdaughter's bedroom.  She is still sobbing softly as he
 puts his arms around her.

 "I'm very sad, Papa," she whispers.

 Serge holds her closer unable to find any words.

 "May I open Uncle J's gift, now?"

 Serge follows her eyes to the dresser.  He lets go to reach up to the dresser
 and brings the wrapped package to her bed.

 As he begins undoing the bow, she says, "Uncle J told me to open it when I was
 alone because it's magic."

 Puzzled, he kisses her, tells her it is bedtime and that he will come back to
 tuck her in.

 He returns fifteen minutes later and notices the silence instead of the sobbing.
 But he is surprised to find her still awake.  Much later, as she falls asleep
 peacefully in his arms, Serge smiles for the first time since the funeral.  It
 is magic.

 The Sounds of Silence

 The next day, K sits on the park bench next to J.

 J stares out into nowhere, saying nothing.  There are less than three weeks of
 classes left in the semester, but J isn't thinking about that right now.

 As K puts her arm around him, J absent-mindedly takes a hold of her other hand.

 After a long while, he turns to look at her.  He kisses her softly on the lips.
 K holds him closer.

 A little later, as they get up to head off to class, neither realizes that they
 have not spoken a word.  J feels the warmth of her embrace reaching out from the
 hearth in her soul.

 Monday Monday

 It has been a week since the funeral.  J looks a lot more like his usual self,
 she thinks, as she stops in at Starbucks during her mid-afternoon break.

 J has been plotting and planning all day and has that knowing smile on his face.

 He pulls out a chair after he hugs her.

 "I know that look," remarks K, as she eyes him suspiciously.

 "What, moi?" J unsuccessfully protests his innocence.

 "You don't fool me for a minute.  What's on your mind?"

 "I was wondering if you had any classes this Friday."

 "I happen to be free."

 "No woman is free."  A kick to the shin rewards this remark.  J continues,
 undaunted, "Since study week is coming up pretty soon, I thought it might be
 nice if you and I could have a nice little getaway this weekend."

 "Where to?" K grins, eager at the opportunity to spend some time with J.

 "Oh, that's for me to know and you to find out.  In fact, you may never find
 out."

 "What do you mean?" K looks at him crossly.

 J leans closer to whisper in her ear.  "I was thinking it might me fun if you
 would agree to be blindfolded for the whole weekend."

 K feels her spine tingle with excitement.  "That's sounds like a dare," she
 demurs.

 "And, are you up to it?"

 "That's for me to know, and you to find out," she retorts.

 J smirks mischievously because he already knows.

 Weekend in New England

 It has been a pleasant evening drive and K, blindfolded the way she was earlier
 in the day, awaits yet another surprise.

 J pulls the Expedition into the parking lot of the Rabbit Hill Inn.  Situated on
 fifteen acres near the picturesque rural village of Lower Waterford, it affords
 a wonderful view of the White Mountains.  J had called the 800 number that ended
 in 'BUNNY' because he thought it would be just perfect for his blindfold bunny.
 He can hardly wait to surprise her tomorrow, the last day of their weekend
 getaway, with a marvelous blindfold walk through the grounds, which will end in
 the gazebo listening to the waterfall.

 J checks in and leads her into the most opulent of the 21 guestrooms, the
 Jonathan Cummings suite, named after the original owner.

 "O.K., I'm going to take off your blindfold now, but keep your eyes shut until I
 tell you to open them," J instructs.  He slowly undoes the scarves blindfolding
 K and tosses them to the floor.

 K opens her eyes when told.  She pauses a few moments to drink in the huge
 bedroom with a four-poster queen-sized canopy bed and fireplace.  She wanders
 around and jumps with joy as she discovers the sitting room and the huge tub.

 As she looks admiringly at him, J points out that it is a 44-jet hydromassage
 tub for two.

 "Great bathrobes!  I can't wait to jump in."  K continues exploring.  "Wow!  It
 even has a furnished porch."

 "You can see the mountains from here," J says superfluously.

 K turns around and puts her arms around him.  She releases for a moment to stare
 into his eyes; her own eyes now moist.  The sincerity of her expression speaks
 volumes.  "J, thank you so very much.  I know it's not over yet, but this is by
 far, the most romantic weekend of my entire life!"

 The weekend had started two nights earlier.

 Ring, Ring

 K, who has just stepped out of the shower, reaches for the phone on the third
 ring.

 "I'll be there in an hour," the deep voice at the other end intones.

 "See you soon."

 The doorbell rings just as she finishes packing.

 She hurries to hug the handsome hunk.

 After some small talk, J sits down next to her on the bed.

 "I've been looking forward to this weekend," J voices earnestly.

 "I have, too," states K as she stares into his dark eyes. "It'll be nice to get
 away from studies and spend a whole weekend together."

 "Do you think you're ready to set a record by remaining blindfold for at least
 48 hours?"

 "That would be a record for me," K declares dreamily.  "So I guess I'm as ready
 as I'll ever be."

 "O.K., K, I think we'll begin with these," utters J as he takes out two eye
 patches and applies them to her eyes.

 Her spine tingles as he tilts her head back slightly and places two round
 cosmetic sponges over the eye patches.

 J removes two rectangular black scarves from his pocket and lays them on the
 bed.  He folds the larger one into a narrow band and places the center of the
 band over the sponges.  He ties it behind her head knotting it once.  He helps K
 to her feet and standing in front of her, draws the ends together and knots it
 over her brow.  Moving behind her, he folds the second scarf into a broader band
 and placing it over the first scarf, knots it twice securely behind her head.

 "How does that feel?" he inquires admiring his handiwork.

 "Very secure but not uncomfortable.  I can see absolutely nothing."

 "That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it," J does a lousy impression of K.C.

 "Are you ready to go?"

 "Uh-oh!"

 "What's up?"

 "I just remembered I meant to go and get measured for my class ring, today."

 "That shouldn't be a problem," J assures her.  "We can stop in at the jeweler's
 on the way out."

 J takes her bag in one hand and allows K to clasp his other arm as he guides her
 outside to the Expedition.

 The stores are open late but there are not too many people around as J leads her
 into the jewelry store commissioned to make the B.U. Class of 1999 rings.  J had
 already ordered his ring earlier.

 K is just a little self-conscious at first but relaxes after she hears the
 helpful voice of the sales clerk.

 She feels J standing behind her as he plays with her hands and loops the
 measuring card around each finger of her left hand in turn.

 "It'll be ready next week, well in time for graduation.  Which one of you will
 be picking it up?"

 J pipes up before K can respond.  "I will."

 Into the Night

 They head out into the night.  K can hear the tumult of the traffic but she
 cannot even make out the traffic lights through her secure blindfold.  Later, K
 discerns the din dying down.  She deduces that they must be heading out of the
 city.

 After driving for what to K seems to be about two hours, they pull off the road.

 J leaves her in the van while he checks in to a hotel belonging to one of the
 major chains.

 He returns quickly and escorts her into the two-room suite.  He spends about
 fifteen minutes orienting K with their accommodations.

 "I think I can find my way around now."

 "Let me test you," J challenges.  "I left your bag by the door and I've shown
 you where the drawers are.  I'm going to spin you around.  You then have to find
 your suitcase and unpack everything without assistance."

 "Go for it," states K, accepting the venture.

 J duly spins her around.  It takes K a minute but she succeeds in orienting
 herself and has no difficulty unpacking her clothes neatly into the drawer.

 "What's next?" K inquires.

 "Hungry?"

 "Famished!"

 J rings room service.

 Itsy-bitsy...

 After an agreeable meal, K questions J about her whereabouts.  "You're being
 mean.  You haven't even told me which state I'm in."

 "A state of confusion, I'd say"

 J deftly dodges the dig.

 They are lying on the couch listening to music and relaxing when J makes her an
 offer.

 "Swim?" she inquires incredulously.  "You seem to have forgotten something.  I
 have a five-layer blindfold on which would get soaked.  Besides, I didn't pack a
 swimsuit."

 "Ah-ha, but I think of everything."

 K hears the sound of a drawer opening and then a second one.  She feels hands
 lifting her up from the bed.  "Undress me first," he directs.

 K beams bashfully as she reaches for his top shirt button.  Very deliberately
 and sensually she undoes each button, her fingernails tracing arcs across his
 chest.  As his shirt falls to the floor, she encircles her arms around him, her
 lips searching for his.  She unhooks his belt buckle and extracts his belt from
 the loops as her lips and teeth chew on his nipples.  She unsnaps the top button
 of his Levis and zips down his fly.  She squeezes his buns as the pants fall to
 the floor.  K works on his Hanes and giggles as she releases his jewels.  She
 holds her lower body close to his.  "I think we have a growing problem here -
 you're not going to get Joe Banana and his bunch into your trunks."

 "Evil woman!" J scolds.  "But now it's my turn."  J proceeds to return the favor
 by raising her white sweater above her head, revealing a six-hook front closing
 bra.  He cups her still clad breasts as his tongue explores hers.  He reaches
 for the belt buckle on her jeans and starts to pull them off without removing
 the belt.  He helps her step out of them before unsnapping the hooks on her
 brassiere.  J pauses to drink in the sight before burying his head in the
 valley.  He surfaces long enough to tongue slap her nipples, driving down to
 deliver two long suction kisses.

 J steps back and whistles.  "No wonder you had no visible panty lines!"

 K standing only in her navy blue thong feels self-conscious for the first time.
 She complies hesitantly as J asks her to bend over, lean forward and place her
 hands on the edge of the bed.  "What are you doing, J?" she asks, unable to keep
 a faint hint of trepidation out of her voice.

 She gets her answer as his titanic tool begins to glide along the division of
 her derriere and back down.  K feels the passion building in her belly as his
 orbs creep along her crevice.

 His own lust catches J off guard.  He hadn't counted on K arousing his ardor so
 alarmingly.  But he does not want to ruin the weekend for K.

 Realizing he needs release, he suggests K stay in the bathroom.  As he leaves
 her and grabs a towel, he declares, "You may as well play, too.  Try counting
 your contractions when you climax."

 "You're very brassy.  Any particular reason?"

 "Most people average between eight to thirty contractions.  Everyone needs to be
 in touch with their own bodies."

 "Promise you won't peek in on me?"

 "I promise," says J as he shuts the bathroom door.

 K, still blindfolded, sits on the floor as her hands move inside her thong.  She
 starts to sigh softly as her fingers fondle her frontal fissure.

 Later, J hears water running and knocks on the door.  "Put this on please, and
 let me know when you're done."  J shuts the door again after handing her some
 clothing.

 K discards her panties and slides on the bikini bottom.  It is another thong!  K
 fumbles with the top and recognizes that it does not do much to cover her
 bulging breasts.  She hollers for J.

 J whistles his approval again.  "Wow!" he adds for good measure.

 "You don't expect me to be seen in public in this?"

 "The pool is only for hotel guests.  And I doubt there will be too many people
 in the pool at this hour."

 "What about this?" K asks, pointing to her blindfold.

 "I'll take care of it."  J reaches behind her head and unknots the outermost
 scarf.  He unties the knot on her brow and gently removes the cosmetic sponges.
 He observes that the eye patches are still in place.  " I think we'll leave
 those on."  J proceeds to put a bathing cap on K to protect her hair.  He then
 places a pair of swimming goggles on her and asks her to try to open her eyes."

 "How come I can't notice any light?" she inquires, puzzled.

 "That's because I've painted the outside of the goggles black."

 "You do think of everything!"

 They both step into the shower together and kiss under the running water.  J
 does his best to control himself.  He is glad he has on the long surfer style
 trunks instead of the Speedo.

 As K dries herself, she asks J what color her suit is.

 "Well, you know it's itsy-bitsy."

 "Huh?"

 "And it's teenie-weenie."

 The light finally comes on as K completes the phrase, "Yellow, polka dot
 bikini."

 Splish Splash

 K clasps the ends of the towel wrapped around her body with her left hand as she
 uses her right hand to be guided by J.

 An older couple is leaving the pool area as they enter.

 "We're all alone - just the two of us," J assures her as he takes her towel and
 sets it on a pool chair.

 This puts K more at ease and she follows him down the steps into the shallow
 end.  J describes the pool to her.  At first, K finds swimming blindfolded very
 unusual but starts to relax because she knows J is nearby.

 After a while J challenges her to a game.  "Have you ever played Marco Polo?"

 "No.  How do you play it?"

 "You have to try to tag me in the pool using only sound clues.  You call out
 'Marco' and I have to answer 'Polo.'

 "I could bump into a wall," K protests.

 "Don't worry.  I'll let you know if you get too close.  You're in the center of
 the pool now.  Count slowly to twenty before calling out."

 K hears him swim ahead of her.  Soon she calls out, "Marco!"

 "Polo!"  The voice comes from some distance behind her.  K is surprised by how
 loud it sounds but realizes that sound travels much faster on water than air.

 K turns around and pursues the voice.  By the time she calls out again, the
 voice is to her left.  After a couple of times, she almost tags him but curses
 as she senses him swim by.

 She calls out three times in quick succession and screams in triumph as she tags
 her partner.

 J put his arms around her and gives her a wet kiss.  "Was that fun?"

 "Yeah, and I think I'd like to play again."

 They play the game a couple more times and K starts to get tired.  K lies on her
 back while J stays in close support.

 Eventually, they head to the sauna to burn off and then back to their room.  J
 has another surprise for her.

 "A Jacuzzi!" she exclaims.

 Both step in with their swimsuits still on.  But K's top doesn't stay on for too
 long as she lies back in the safety of his arms, her lips pressed against his.

 When they emerge, J requests K to keep her eyes closed as removes her goggles
 and now wet eye patches.  After he washes and dries her face he applies fresh
 eye patches and a bright red sleepmask.  For good measure, he wraps a length of
 red adhesive tape over the mask to secure it.

 K finds the blindfold really comfortable and drifts off dreaming of the day
 ahead.

 A Day in the Life

 "Feel this," he says, as they get ready to begin the day.

 K gets butterflies as he helps her unfold a white cane.

 "Today, you're going to be a temporarily blind girl - maybe, one who's just had
 eye surgery."

 "That's very interesting," she responds.

 "May I begin?"

 "O.K., I guess," K utters hesitantly as she sits next to him on the bed.  She
 keeps her eyes shut as he removes her sleepmask and eye patches.

 He applies fresh eye patches and asks her to tilt her head backward as he
 applies a sterile oval cotton pad to each eye.  He places a denim patch cut in
 the same shape over the cotton pad on each eye.  He then places a second oval
 cotton pad over each eye.  "Now hold each of these pads in place with a finger."

 J places a one-inch wide strip of tape just long enough to go across her eyes
 while he releases her fingers.  Using tape that doesn't stick to skin but sticks
 to itself, J wraps the broader tape around her head.  He goes around several
 times neatly until the cotton pads are completely obscured.  He cuts off the
 tape and sticks the last open portion behind her head.  "How does that feel?"

 "Snug.  But not uncomfortable."

 "We'll have to see how it works in the daylight."

 After J applies some make-up to the uncovered part of her face, they head out in
 the town.  K spends a glorious morning with J walking through an unknown town,
 the sounds and smells and the sting of the wind so much more evident.  They shop
 for souvenirs and K realizes that she must rely on J to count out her money.  In
 fact, she begins to understand that in her blindfolded state she must rely
 solely on J to keep her safe from harm.  But she is not in the least bit
 uncomfortable, as she trusts J completely.

 After they stop in at a fast food place for lunch, J guides her to the washroom
 door and tells her to use her cane to navigate.  K finds it a little
 disconcerting being blind and alone.  She stretches out her left hand and taps
 the cane on the floor with the right and finds she is able to locate the cubicle
 and the sink without too much difficulty.  But she breathes a sigh of relief
 when she can grab onto his arm again.

 K enjoys the afternoon even more.  This time he walks beside her on a sidewalk
 in a park but does not allow her to hold him.  It is challenging for K because
 the path is not a straight one and she discovers she has to occasionally alter
 her course, as her taps don't always hit asphalt.

 Later in the afternoon as they come to a playground, J has an idea.  "Do you
 remember that game you used to play as a child on the playground equipment?"

 "You mean when you would call out and the other person would try catch you while
 keeping her eyes closed?"

 "Exactly.  The only thing the non-blindfolded players were not allowed to do was
 to touch the ground."

 "Would you like to try 'Grounders?'"

 "I'm at a distinct disadvantage since I have no idea how the playground is
 configured."

 "Let me orient you."  J spends ten minutes doing that until K is comfortable
 moving around.  "Just go real easy on the swinging bridge."

 K delights in the game and enjoys the near misses but not as much as the moment
 she finally gets to tag J.

 The day is capped off with a splendid supper and dancing.

 Breathe

 A day of discovery is at an end.  Yet another new journey is about to begin.

 She is still blindfolded though only with eye patches and a single soft
 sleepmask instead of her eyes being heavily bandaged.  She sits on the floor
 with legs crossed wearing only comfortable cotton panties.

 "Would you like to learn about love making?"  He tosses out the question
 casually trying to draw out his pupil.

 "Are you suggesting you'd like to give me some on-the-job training?"

 "As tempting as that sounds, I don't think you're really making me an offer.  I
 believe in spiritual or tantric lovemaking.  It is a marvelous, magical,
 mystical experience.  Most people make love badly because they rush everything
 and never bother to learn the proper techniques.  Of course, simple mastery of
 techniques won't guarantee you'll ever achieve karezza.  You have to trust, love
 and respect your partner and believe that your energy is connected to the
 universe."

 "What's ka-retz-za?" K inquires.

 "That's very advanced, grasshopper, but someday I hope you, too, will be able to
 surf the wave.  It's more important to strive for Kaivalya.  We need to begin
 with the basics."

 "Do you mean learning various positions?" K asks abashedly.

 "Not.  Although, I will give you lessons on that later."

 "What then?"

 "Breathing."

 "Breathing?"

 "Yes.  You must learn to breathe in time with your partner."

 "You mean we have to breathe in at the same time?"

 "No.  Just the opposite.  You must learn to breathe in as your partner breathes
 out.  There is a specific set of breathing exercises you should do before you
 make love."

 "Are we going to try that, now?"

 "You are jumping too far ahead, grasshopper.  We must begin slowly."

 "O.K.," agrees K, fascinated by his knowledge of so many things.

 "It's important to wait at least three hours after you eat a full meal to do any
 breathing exercises.  You don't want your digestive system interfering with your
 respiratory system.  You can lie back or sit cross-legged like you're doing now.
 Sit up straight or the exercises won't help you.  Remember that there are three
 phases to breathing in.  You reverse these three phases when you breathe out.
 Breathe in slowly and push your stomach forward.  Continue to breathe in as you
 push your ribs sideways.  Now lift up your chest and collarbone as you finish
 inhaling.  Just relax your collarbone and chest and feel the air going out
 automatically.  Now relax your ribcage.  When you think you've got all the air
 out, pull your stomach in which will get rid of the rest of the air in your
 lungs."

 "How was that?"

 "Not bad, but remember that breathing is a continuous process.  Don't be
 herky-jerky."

 "How do I know if I'm sitting properly?" K inquires.

 "You should feel relaxed.  Picture a river running through you in a straight
 line starting from your head and going down into the floor.  I think you
 naturally seem to have the right posture."

 After a few more efforts, K asks, "What's next?"

 "O.K., now let's try a really easy one which will strengthen your lungs.  Inhale
 through your nose in brief, brisk breaths until you feel your lungs bursting.
 Blow out through your mouth making a loud 'HAH' sound like you're spewing all
 the stress out of you."

 He watches K complete ten repetitions.  "Now we'll move to the 'Kapalabhathi
 Breath.'"

 "The what?"

 "Never mind," J laughs.  "It's the cleaning breath - a great exercise for any of
 your friends who are smokers or asthmatics.  You're doing better than the
 average bear, Boo Boo!"

 "Okee-dokee, Yogi!"

 "Keep sitting cross-legged with back straight like you're doing now.  Since
 you're already topless, that's great - at least from where I'm sitting!"  J does
 not miss the appreciative smile.  "It's good to unhook your bra if you're
 wearing one before doing any breathing exercises.  Breathe in, keeping your
 mouth closed, and do a little sneeze.  With your mouth closed, your lower belly
 will expand.  Suck it back in suddenly.  Do ten reps now and you can work up to
 fifty later.  You shouldn't feel anything in your upper lungs, chest or throat
 area."

 The blindfold helps K to focus on her belly button.  "Wow!" exclaims K as she
 completes the exercise.

 "Exactly.  Now take some slow breaths so you don't feel dizzy.  Relax in silence
 for a few minutes and feel the change in your body and mind."

 "I feel terrific.  Are there more exercises?"

 "We'll do a couple more.  Let's try the 'Recharging Breath.'"  J helps her to
 her feet.  "You have to do this standing up and with your eyes shut."

 "And since I'm very conveniently blindfolded..."

 "Exactly."  J stands behind her.  Imagine you have a third eye in the middle of
 your forehead..."

 "Would that be 'Third Eye Blind?'"

 J chuckles.  "Now focus on the third eye and follow my instructions.  The first
 of the seven steps is to inhale; hold the air into your chest; swing your arms
 twice backwards and twice forwards firmly; and, then exhale.  Good!"  J
 continues his detailed instructions guiding her through each of the steps.  "For
 the final phase: inhale; hold your breath; pat your breasts; and, now exhale.
 Done!"

 K feels the touch of his lips on hers and hears his voice again.

 "Now for the last one: the 'Healing Breath.'  Keep standing straight with your
 feet close together and arms hanging at your sides.  The rhythm of in-hold-out
 is 1:4:2.  Don't count but focus on the sound of your heartbeat to determine the
 rhythm.  When you breathe in feel it making the sound 'HOH' and when breathe out
 feel it make the sound 'HUM.'  Concentrate on those sounds.  Now inhale; hold
 for as long as you can comfortably; and, then exhale for twice as long as it
 took you to inhale.  You did well.  You'll gradually build up to the right
 rhythm.  Do five reps and we'll call it a night."

 K sleeps extremely peacefully.

 True Colors

 Their second day begins with breakfast-in-bed and another challenge for K.

 "Since you're such a fan of strawberry jam, I wonder if you could identify your
 favorite between three other jams."

 "I'm positive I can," K asserts.

 "I'm going to cut this piece of toast into sixteen pieces and place each brand
 of jam on four of the pieces.  I'll feed you each of the pieces in turn and
 you'll be allowed to take a small bite of a plain piece of toast between
 tastings to clear your palate."

 "Just wipe off the knife each time you change jams."

 K takes her first bite.  "Kraft.  Not my favorite."

 "Right."

 "Smith.  Not my favorite."

 "Right again."

 "Kraft again.  Can't fool me."

 "Rats!"

 "Dunno.  A store brand?"

 "Uh huh."

 "Ah!  Finally, Smucker's - the most perfect strawberry jam!"

 "You're terrific."

 "This is what I've been trying to tell you along."  The tickling does come as a
 surprise to K.  But she flawlessly finds her favorite each and every time.

 Later, she asks, "But why do we have to pack?  Aren't we staying another night?"

 "Yes, but not here.  We're going to blow this pop stand."

 They spend most of the day in the Quechee countryside although K has no idea
 where she is.  She is no longer wearing eye patches but she is securely
 blindfolded with three scarves in the same way as she was on her Valentine's Day
 excursion.

 The weather is well suited for outdoor activity and she is in good spirits.  It
 is such a joy to be at J's side, spending so much time with him, garnering all
 his attention.

 K has great fun trying to identify spruce, fir, pine, elm, oak and cherry trees
 by touch alone.

 In a field, she plays blind hop tag with him.  J hops on one foot while she
 tries to tag him.  When she finally succeeds, she tackles him, and lying on top
 of him, smothers him with kisses.  J enjoys her lips and tongue for a few
 minutes before he gets her back.  He has a gas tickling the unsuspecting lass
 while her ass is on the grass.

 She learns the 'Walking Breath' exercise but has to hold onto J to begin with
 because it appears very confusing to do it blindfolded.  She stands upright,
 exhales and walks taking the first step with her right foot.  She takes four
 steps while inhaling, holds her breath in for two steps, exhales for four steps,
 and holds the breath out for two steps.

 "Just remember to breathe in continuously, not take four short breaths in and
 you'll be fine."

 Later, they rest and she gets to practice all her breathing exercises again.  J
 allows her some time to meditate by herself.  She puts the exercises to good use
 as she shares his lips and tongue.

 Your Song

 "It's the Magic Man and that was 'Love Song' by a duo from Montreal called
 'Sky.'  It's dedicated to my special girl - you know who you are and I hope
 we'll be spending some time in Montreal soon.  The next song is dedicated to my
 best friend and his girl.  If Eric Clapton is the best rock guitarist, this guy
 can give him a run for his money and cigarettes.  This is the title cut from
 Mark Knopfler's recent album."

 Golden Heart

 Sunset is about an hour-and-a-half away.  But K is oblivious to that fact as she
 is in the Expedition blindfolded and has been continuously for nearly
 forty-eight hours.

 After what seems like a fairly short drive, she senses the Expedition turning
 off a main road and starting to slow down.  "Where have you brought me J?"

 "I'm not going to tell you just yet but we are about to do something I'm pretty
 sure you've never done before.  In fact, it may seem a little scary at first but
 I promise you it will be fun."

 "J, you're frightening me.  Is this a dangerous activity?"

 "Not as dangerous as mountain climbing and no more dangerous than driving,
 really."

 "J, you're not boosting my confidence any."

 He puts his arms around her and kisses her.  "Do you trust me, K?"

 "Yes, J, I do."

 "Great!  We are going for a short walk.  In addition to being blindfolded, I am
 going to ask you to wear headphones since I want to surprise you."

 It takes another kiss before K consents to don the headphones.  The music drowns
 out the sound of the driver's side door slamming and the passenger door opening.
 K feels his hand on hers as he helps her step out of the SUV.  K begins her
 blindfold walk across what seems to be a field of some kind.  Over the music, K
 seems to hear a sound like the rustling of wind but she cannot be sure.  She can
 feel some wind gusts appear and then disappear.  Part of her is terrified at
 what she fears may be to come and she racks her brain for possibilities.  But
 part of her is terribly excited at the thought of a new adventure.  She walks
 for a short while and then feels her guide come to a halt.  She expects her
 headphones to be removed but that doesn't happen.  After about a minute, she
 squeezes J's arm.  She feels his arm hug her and that reassures her, but just a
 little.

 All of a sudden, she feels herself being lifted up and then other hands grabbing
 her.  She is about to scream because she imagines she is being kidnapped.  Then
 she senses the headphones being removed and hears a whooshing sound.

 "Don't worry, K, it's O.K."

 The sound of his voice is a welcome relief.  "J, you've scared me half to death!
 Where are we?"

 "You're going to see for yourself."  J undoes each of the three scarves slowly
 in turn.

 K is slightly disoriented and woozy as her blindfold is removed.  She blinks
 several times and looks around in disbelief.  K sees they are not alone.  Far
 from it!  They are in the middle of a large open field surrounded by an
 avalanche of activity.  She sees a number of colorful contraptions on their
 sides with fans blowing air into the envelopes.  She sees she is a small basket
 with two other men.

 "Welcome aboard ma'am!" says the older of the two strangers.  "Champagne?"

 J laughs because he sees K's mouth is still wide open.

 "J, you're absolutely crazy.  There's no way I could go in this.  I can only
 think of the Hindenburg going up in flames."

 "That was a dirigible, ma'am, and it was filled with hydrogen, which burns,"
 explains the younger stranger.  "This is a hot-air balloon and we use liquid
 propane gas - the same propane you would use in a barbecue.  Besides, propane is
 environmentally friendly as it produces only carbon dioxide and water vapor when
 it burns."

 He speaks confidently and K begins to calm down slightly.  Curious, she queries,
 "How can you make this thing go where you want it to go?"

 "Both the captain and I are experienced FAA certified commercial balloon pilots,
 ma'am.  I gather this is your first time?"

 "I just hope it won't also be my last!"

 "Perhaps this will steady your nerves a bit," remarks the captain as he hands
 her a glass of champagne.  "To new journeys!" toasts the captain.

 K clinks her glass and swallows it in one gulp almost causing bubbles to come
 out of her nose.

 "Ready for lift-off, captain."

 K clutches J in a death grip as the co-pilot fires up the burner.  Slowly,
 almost imperceptibly, the balloon begins to rise silently.  K stares in
 amazement as the ground moves further in the distance.  She notices another
 balloon arise and then another.

 K is a little calmer as she notices they are surrounded by a convoy of fifteen
 other balloons high above the hills and valleys daubed in green and red.  K
 marvels at the view of the red barns, churches with white steeples and what
 appear to be quaint, tiny bridges.  The silent majesty of the excursion
 transfixes K as she realizes that this is a once-in-a- lifetime experience.

 "J, I can almost touch the clouds!" she exclaims, about a half-hour into the
 ride.

 J holds her close for a long while.  His enjoyment of the moment is magnified by
 her zest.  He must act before the twilight's last gleaming.

 "K, I have something that I've wanted to say for a while.  I feel now is the
 time."

 "What is it, J?"

 "I want to tell you how wonderful it has been since you came into my life; how
 marvelous it has been to share every moment and every experience with you; and,
 how awesome it is just to be with you.  Also, I have something that I'd like you
 to wear."

 "Oh, J!" she sighs.

 It isn't exactly like the one on the album cover but he steps behind her and
 ties the leather chain around her neck - the chain that holds the golden heart.

 He turns her around slowly and looks deeply into her eyes as his arms envelop
 her body.  "There is just one more thing I wanted to say.  I love you, K!"

 As she fingers the pendant, she gazes into his eyes, her own eyes now glistening
 as the rivulets run down her visage.  "I love you, too, J!"

 Very high above a verdant valley in Vermont, versus the velvet skies veiled in
 violet and vermilion, a virgin heart is vibrating vigorously and voyaging - up,
 up and away.

 ************************************************************************Author's
 Note:

 Readers of this story may make a copy for their personal use.  The author's
 permission is required for any other use or dissemination of this novel in any
 form, any such use acknowledging me as the author of the work.  The author has
 granted permission for this novel to appear on 'The Blindfold Page.'  Author's
 E-mail address: trevain@home.com
 ************************************************************************
 A Tale of Three Cities  Trevain  (2001-04-28)