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"Oh, they'll come all right," I replied, "but will they come in time? You should think about that."
"I'd rather take my risk with drowning," said Igor, "than sitting here, hoping for someone to respond."
"I would love to come with you," said Jack, "if only I didn't feel so helpless in a small boat."
"It's really quite safe," said Igor.
"I believe you, but I can't do it," said Jack.
"All right, forget the boat then," I suggested.
"No, let's not," said Jack. "We don't need to be in total agreement. We don't owe any allegiance to one another. Everyone should feel free to do what he must do."
I supported Jack on this point.
Orlando disagreed. "No, we should vote," he said, "and then do what the majority demands."
"No!" said Jack. "If I want to stay here, I should have every right to stay here, regardless of the majority."
"That's exactly the point I'm trying to make," said Igor. "You should stay here if you want to, while Paul and I should have the freedom to search for a boat without feeling guilty at leaving anyone behind."
"But I don't want to stay alone," said Orlando.
"I'll stay with you," said Jack.
"I don't want you to stay behind just for my sake," Orlando replied.
"Didn't you hear me?" said Jack. "I want to wait right here till we are rescued. It's always been like that at SAC. It always worked."
Since the discussion didn't seem to lead anywhere, I went downstairs with Jennie and Igor to get the luncheon together.
"I can't sit in this airplane and wait for the unknown," said Igor. Jennie agreed, and so did I. "Still, I hate to leave Jack and Orlando alone," Igor added.
"Why is it so hard to claim one's right to protect one's own life, the right to protect oneself in the best way one is able?" said Jennie. "That's really what everyone is claiming, even Jack. We just don't see it all the same way."
Igor smiled at her. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and went upstairs, happily.
Jennie and I brought all the food upstairs that we could carry. We ate this last meal together in all the posh comfort reserved for the elite of the world. And we did it in the finest tradition. Igor had discovered a few bottles of champagne that had been hidden in the plane. He insisted on serving the champagne himself, and the meal too, out of sheer gratitude for having been rescued. The real reason, obviously, was different. Serving the champagne enabled him to pay special attention to Jennie that he became attracted to. He smiled at her whenever he refilled her glass, and once, when he thought that no one was looking, when he stole a kiss from her. Of course, whenever Jennie desired something special, he was only too eager to oblige, until in the conversation, we began to talk about Frank and the hiking trip we had planned.
In this context I brought Jennie's suggestion up once again. "What do you think of it now, honestly?" I asked everyone. "It could be a great adventure to get away from here by boat."
"I would like to take my chances here," answered Orlando without hesitation. "I can't see myself doing anything else."
"Me too," said Jack. "I would hate to see you people taking such a great risk, exposed to storms, fallout. But if you must, so be it!"
"I want to look for a boat," answered Igor.
"I'm with Igor," I said, "I don't feel comfortable sitting here. Thus, sadly, our ways must part."
"Why can't we let go of each other?" said Jennie. "We care for one another, don't we? Why then should we deny each other the freedom to do what we individually feel we must do?" She added that she was coming along with Igor and me, to look for a boat.
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Stories
about
Healing
from novels by Rolf A. F. Witzsche
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