1903

Can you all hear me?

December 17, 1903. The Wright Brothers wept.
They cried and they cried and they kissed their girlfriends. And their girlfriends cried because they hadn't been kissed in way too long.


I tried to save you a seat.
   I put my purse on one of them.
       My coat on the other.


Seat #1 was stolen within seconds. And the boy sat down next to me just to tell me he was on his way to Reno.
Reno? I asked.
Reno.
I pretended to know where that was. Because even though I've heard of it in books and songs and plays I still had to google it to know. And I wish I never had. I wish Reno had stayed this unknown place, that I knew nothing about. Please don't let anyone tell me where Atlantic City is.

Reno is in Nevada, he said.


Seat #2 was taken by the panting boy, still in his Sunday clothes.

He put his head on my shoulder and cried for a while. He didn't have to tell me. I saw. 
I saw them all running home from church in the cold and I saw him have to stop and catch his breath. No one stopped with him. 

He let me hold him as he cried because I know what it feels like to stop and wonder why the hell your legs can't keep moving. Run, dammit. Run. 


Seat #3 was taken by Orville Wright's lover from the diner down on 5th Street. Simply because she never gave a damn about learning how to fly.


make something up.
ESTHER.