Helicopter Tour

"Where exactly are we going to land", the helicopter pilot asks me. "Uhm let me check with her", I tell him and grab my cellphone out of my pocket. "Okay, she says they'll be passing the soccer field in about an hours tops. You think you can make it there before that and land this bird on the field", I scream to him. "Don't worry, we'll be there before you know it".

I had hired a helicopter for the day to take my back to my hometown soon as I left the house. We've been flying for a couple hours now, but we're getting close to my hometown. "Do you think this will work though", the pilot asks me. "Well it better work, cause this is the last card I have left".  "Well you said his never been on a helicopter before, so that could probably convince him", the pilot claims.  "I'm counting on it", I yell out.

45 minutes later. ...

We get to my hometown and fly above the soccer field. "Okay! Land right here", I tell the pilot. "Right here? But there's people playing on the field", he exclaims. "Don't worry. They'll move out of the way. I think", I tell him.

From a distance TK and Heather are walking towards the soccer field. They notice the helicopter landing down on the field. "What the hell", TK exclaims. Heather exclaims, "let's go check it out. It might be something interesting". I jump out of the helicopter, and one of the Referees comes up to me screaming, "what the hell. We were having a final match over here". I give him a hundred dollar bill and tell him, "yeah, yeah. My bad". I start walking around looking out for TK.

He and Heather finally arrive and TK exclaims, "K, is that you? What are you even doing". "Well this is me giving this whole amends thing a second try. And I brought this helicopter as a peace offering", I tell him.  "How did you even know I was coming here", TK asks me, then after looking at Heather. She smiles at him and says, "guilty as charged".

"So 8 years ago you told me that you wanted to find the baddest girl out there and wifey her up good. I honestly didn't take you seriously that time", I state to TK. He looks at Heather and exclaims, "I didn't mean it like that". She just looks at him.

I continue speaking, "but you did say that you wanted to go on a helicopter tour around our entire hometown. Now that I took seriously. So 8 years later and, I've brought that dream to you".

"And how do I know this isn't some trap or something, luring me to be a sacrifice for your cult", TK asks.  Heather hits his side and exclaims, "just get in the damn helicopter". "Fine! But if I end up disappearing it's on you", he tells her.  

TK walks up to the helicopter and jumps in. I look at Heather and tell her, "thank you", and wave goodbye. I jump into the helicopter next to TK.

"Just to let you guys know. If I don't end up coming back home in the next hour, I told my wife that she must call the cops", TK tells the pilot and I. I tell TK, "stop being dramatic". "Let's go", I tell the pilot.

We soon take off.

We fly around the town, taking in it's beauty. TK can't stop smiling and pointing out things. "There's my house. And that's my mom's house", he says while pointing. I just sit back and laugh by myself. We fly off right to the edge of the town, and turn back just to do it all over again. TK lifts his hands out of the helicopter and reaches for the sky.

"What are you doing", I ask him.  He turns to me and says with a smile, "getting a touch of Heaven".

An hour later. ...

I tell the pilot to land by the valley TK, Chris and I used to hangout by as kids. We land close to our little hideout. The pilot jumps out of the helicopter and makes a phone call to his wife. TK and I sit by the edge of the helicopter door looking at him.

"Do you ever think he has sex in this helicopter", TK  asks while looking at the pilot. I look at him and exclaim, "what". "I mean we know people already have car sex. But do pilots have helicopter sex", he asks me. "You're crazy you know that", I tell him. "Well you're crazy for landing a helicopter during a soccer match", TK says with a chuckle. "Yeah. I definitely can't go anywhere near that field after that stunt", I exclaim and laugh afterwards.

There's a silent pause between us.

"Why did you leave those 5 years ago. And what's so complicated that you couldn't tell Catherine about it", TK asks me. "And what's this thing about you being part of a cult, and who's. ..", TK keeps asking me questions. I cut him off by announcing, "I'm The Ghost of the Music Industry". "Yeah right", TK exclaims.

I look at him with a serious look.

"Oh shit! You're not joking", he says with widen eyes. "Wait, wait. How the hell is that even possible. Aren't you supposed to be a big time investor or something like that. Unless. .", TK exclaims.  I tell him, "it's all a lie". TK asks me,  "how the hell did it end up being that".

I sigh and hang my head. I ask him, "do you think we could have done something to stop Chris from committing suicide". TK coughs and says, "well we knew him and his dad had a rocky relationship. And they used to fight sometimes, but we never thought it was that bad".

"I could have saved him TK. He wanted to spend the night at my house that day. He didn't want to go home. But I instead told him No. I'm taking your fat ass back to your own house. I sent him back to that place, I pushed him to kill himself. Some friend I was", I tell TK while bursting into tears.

TK puts his hand on my shoulder and says, "you didn't know. You had no idea bro, so don't blame yourself for it". "But did. I blamed myself for all of it. I even had to force myself to attend Chris's funeral, but I still couldn't stomach it", I tell TK

"Is that why you went MIA. You couldn't bare the pain", TK asks me. I hold my head and tell him, "a few weeks after the funeral I went to the music festival that was going on that week to try and clear my head. I noticed some guys in a circle each giving their try at a freestyle. So I decide to join in.

I bodied all of them.

I was about to leave, but someone stopped me. That someone was Franklin J Miller. I had managed to catch his eye.  "You're not bad Kid. In fact you have great potential", Franklin told me. "Wait you're that guy I see on TV. What are you even doing here", I asked him. "I'm out here looking for potential talent, and you kid got it", he told me.

Franklin and I spoke for a bit. He offered my a deal. "I could help you put that talent into good use. What do you say", Franklin asked me. I was eighteen, with the weight of the world on my shoulders. So I needed an escape, a way to run away from all of it. But despite that, I never thought that using my talents to good use meant me only. writing music for other people. But I accepted it, and lied to myself that this is what I really want. And I forgot my dreams.

I lived out this facade for a good five years, but I guess the mask eventually had to come off.

TK looks at me and says, "Damn bro. I had no idea". "Yeah man", I reply. "Still feels like I'm carrying that weight till this day", I tell TK.

"Listen man. You don't have to carry that weight anymore. And I know for a fact Chris holds nothing against you, and so do I.

I forgive you man", TK says to me. I wipe my tears and tell him, "thank you".

"So what you come to your senses", TK asks me.  "You can thank the Ghost of Chris's past for that, I tell him.

"Damn! My boy is The Ghost of the Music Industry. Damn so all those songs my kids listen to could have been written by you", TK exclaims. "Probably. Wait you have kids", I ask TK with a raised eyebrow.  "Yeah. A son and daughter", he tells me. "How come I've never seen them before", I ask him.  "Because they're at their granny's place for the holidays. I need some time alone with my wife mind you", TK exclaims.

I look at him from head to toe and tell him, "you've been busy". He replies with, "like you haven't Mr Ghost. So are you going to tell Catherine the truth", he asks me. "I doubt she wants to hear anything I have to say", I tell him.  "Bullshit", TK yells out. "That girl loves you, and you love her too. I told you that there's Plenty fish in the sea and, you just need to cast your line a little further.

Well you clearly prefer fishing in a pond. And Catherine, she's your catch. So go get your catch". I get up and tell TK, "you're right. I need to tell her the truth. And in fact I need her". "But wait how do I tell her, I can't just call her", I ask TK.  "She's at the mall reporting on this new statue being revealed there. If we hurry we can meet up with after the revealing", TK tells me.

"Okay let's go", I tell him. "We can take the helicopter there", TK suggests in a cheery voice. I look at him. "What. We'll get there faster, plus it isn't everyday you get to ride around in a helicopter", he says with his arms lifted up.

"You're lucky I hired this helicopter for the whole day. F*ck it! I'll tell the pilot to find a spot to land close to the mall", I tell TK.

"Yoo Tom! We're heading out now", I yell at the pilot. He finished off his call a few minutes back. "Where to", he asks me.

I reply, "to one more person I got to make things right with".