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MEET ME INMEMPHIS
By T. Jerome Baker
(Statue of Elvis Presley on Beale Street)
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CONTENTS
Chapter ONE: Maximus Dan Meets Goddess 3
Chapter TWO: Viva Chile Mierda! .... 5
Chapter THREE: Goddess 11
Chapter FOUR: Soul Food .. 13
Chapter FIVE: Maximus Dan Teaches About Memphis . 16
Chapter SIX: A Chat With Roberta . 25
Chapter SEVEN: Triskaidekaphobia .... 27
Chapter EIGHT: Walking In Memphis 31
Chapter NINE: Flight 1455 35
Chapter TEN: An Irishmans Luck ...37
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Chapter 1 - Maximus Dan Meets Goddess
Maximus Dan had met Goddess six months ago, on a Latin-American late-
summer day. Now Dan sits quietly, sipping a Pisco Sour del Cochiguaz. He
contemplates the events of the day. Ronan Keating is playing on !Tunes.
Two of Keatings songs play repeatedly, each song contradicting the other.
The first one is When You Say Nothing At All. The opening lyric has
found resonance with Maximus Dan. He likes it very much. It goes like this:
It is amazing how you can speak right to my heart. Without saying a word you
can light up the dark. This is beautiful music for the love-inspired spirit of
Dan
The second song is The Long Goodbye. I know they say if you love
somebody you should set them free. But it sure is hard to do. Dan has
followed Ronan Keatings advice for the past three months. The results have
been spectacular and Dans Long Goodbye has ended.
In Memphis, Goddess wonders how she is going to prepare a pecan pie.
The pecan pie is Dans solitary culinary desire. His other desire is to sit in the
dark and feel it illuminated by the smile on her face. Goddess isnt so sure
that it is going to happen but she resolutely intends to somehow, someway, by
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her own hand, prepare a pecan pie fit for a king. Yes, a king, for Dan has
asked to meet her in Memphis, at Graceland, in the Kings Jungle Room.
They would each have to take the twenty-five dollar Platinum Tour of
Graceland to do it, but Goddess had a feeling it was going to be well worth the
price of admission.
Goddess remembers that fateful day six months ago when Dan greeted
her at work.. She had just sat down at her desk with a cup of coffee when a
private message flashed across her screen. Are you really a goddess? read
the message. She smiled. It was a newbie. My name is Goddess! she
replied. Let me tell you how I got my unusual name.
When I was born my father took one look at his beautiful baby
daughter, me, and recognized my resemblance to the Roman goddess of love,
Venus. However, my mother pointed out to him the fact that Venus is also
known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Not surprisingly, my parents quite
diplomatically opted for the name of, Goddess, as a compromise.
What a coincidence, said Dan. The same thing happened to me too.
When I was born my father wanted to name me Maximilian. But my mother
wanted to name me after my grandfather, Seamus. Like your parents, they
compromised and I was named Maximus. Dan was my fathers name, and so
I became Maximus Dan. We both have compromise names!
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They both laughed at the odd coincidence. Yet they were both acutely
aware of the connection that existed between them. Apart from the rarity of
their names they had both noticed the instant karma that they shared. If it be
known, it seemed that each could feel electricity flowing, causing a slight
tingling sensation in their hands. It was a moment neither would soon forget.
Chapter 2 - Viva Chile Mierda!
Maximus Dan was a tall man, at least by Chilean standards. He stood
two meters tall. He had felt like a giant when he arrived in Chile five years
ago. Few of the people he met were able to look him directly in the eye. Yet
when they did look in his eyes they saw quite a handsome man.
He had soft, gentle, brown eyes. His hair was short, curly and black
with the hint of a receding hairline. His smile was genuinely friendly and
exposed two rows of pearly, white teeth when he laughed. He had retained a
slim, athletic figure from his years of military service.
Dan was a thirty year-old English teacher and had come to Chile to
teach English for six months. He had come to Chile with the idea of learning
its language, its culture and its traditions before returning to California, where
he had been living for the past four years. Soon, Dans patience, enthusiasm,
motivation and dedication made him popular with his students. However, Dan
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had not foreseen that he would feel so extremely content in this beautiful
country.
Chile is known world-wide for its wine, copper and poets. Indeed, in
South America it is called El Pais de los Poetas (the country of poets). In
his Poem Twenty, Pablo Neruda, Nobel-prize winner and arguably Chiles
greatest poet, described a part of Chile that Dan came to admire. The night
sky is endless, with shimmering stars and a wind that sings and dances.
Yet it was another poet, neither Gabriela Mistral nor Pablo Neruda, but
Fernando Alegra, who brought tears to Maximus Dans eyes as he read the
lines of Alegrias definitive poem, Viva Chile Mierda!, which captures the
essence of the Chile that had come to claim Maximus Dan as one of its own.
Dan had read the poem many times before, learning it by heart. He
preferred to read the poem aloud for its beautiful, expressive verse. Even now
he sat at his desk by the window, reading it out loud once again.
!Viva Chile Mierda by Fernando Alegra
When the Chilean goes out into the dawn to pull back the stars
And, damp with morning dew, lights the fire in his spurs;
When the red horse leaps the hurdle of the sea
And the lake trembles with a gentle mist of ducks;
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When the wizened larch falls and betwixt its branches falls the sky,
I say with nostalgia: Viva Chile, Mierda!
When the deep-sea diver lights his suit
And the whales draw close to suckle at the belly of the boats;
When the countrys skeleton sinks to the bottom of the sea
And like a dead cow, is dragged away by an ancient wave;
When they work the mines and set Antarctica on fire,
I say, pensively, Viva Chile, Mierda!
When winter comes floating along the Mapocho River
Like a corpse tied with wires, to flowers and jars;
And dogs lick at him, and he shrinks away embalmed with cats
When it carries one child, and another sleeping child in its frost
And it keeps stirring and stirring its soiled body bags;
I say, enfuriated, Viva Chile, Mierda!
When a squatter camp grows by the light of the moon,
When another crumbles and another factory goes dark;
When a Northern port dies and they wrap it in sand;
When Santiago reeks and its white plazas rust;
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When the wine is all gone and the widows mortgage their houses;
I say, head bowed, Viva Chile, Mierda!
I ask myself suddenly and with amazement why
I say, Viva Chile, Shit! and not my er beautiful country?
Perhaps in my ignorance I repeat the echo of another echo;
Viva! says the seeker with the the gold nugget between his fingers;
Chile! says the wind to the green sky of the drunken valleys;
Shit! replies the frog to the old witch of Talagante.
What is this deep problem hiding in the lines of my hand?
Is my country an illusion that follows me like a dogs shadow?
My friends: Is there no Life between us without its shit?
The one for the slave, the other for the master
The one for the exploiter of nitrate, copper, coal, and livestock,
The other for the miner whose life is a subterranean death.
And as we grieve through life on our narrow land overlooking the abyss,
Who was the first to shout out the curse?
Was it a soldier wounded in the battle of Rancagua?
Was it a sailor in Angamos? Or a corporal in Cancha Rayada?
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Was it a striker in La Corua? A clenched fist in San Gregorio?
Or an Easter Islander bleeding in the nightfall of his beaches?
Didnt the troubador croon his solitude unto the divine
While his humanity, hanged himself with the strings of his guitar?
Didnt he follow the Holy One on horseback,
while his knife kept the devil away?
Ah! What a giant undertaking for such a measly destiny!
Between snow and sea, with all our heart,
we beat ourselves against a pathway that is walled in.
As a result, in the morning, when God ignores us,
When an earthquakes shudder rouses us at midnight,
When the sea loots our houses and hides in the woods,
When Chile can no longer be sure of its maps,
And we crow, like a rooster that will peck the sun into pieces,
I say, with resolution, Viva Chile, Mierda!
And what I say is a battle cry,
A prayer without end, a farewell call, a fierce command,
A bloody digging in of the spurs, with the reins in the air;
The gallop of Chiles stallion across centuries,
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The grinding of tectonic plates, the ring of fire,
The ancient blue wave of impatient icebergs.
My bird-country, vegetable root, corner where the world ends,
Whoever yells it shall have no peace, will move forward only to fall again,
Because from island to island, from the sea to the mountains,
From one solitude to another, as from one star to another star,
The verdict of the earth will go on howling in our ears:
I say finally, Viva Chile, Mierda!
As Dan finished reading the poem he felt the same nostalgia for Chile,
his adopted country, that he always felt. The poem never failed to evoke
within him the same admiration for and affinity with this wonderful country
that he had called home for the past five years. However, a quick look at his
watch told him he had to hurry to get to school on time. He would have to
take Santiagos subway system, the Metro, at Las Torres, or he would be late
again for his eight oclock, first period, seventh-grade class at Gabriela Mistral
public school.
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Chapter 3 - Goddess
Goddess was a short, petite woman of twenty-five. Her long, shiny
black hair fell down her back and made her look taller than the one meter sixty
centimeters of her actual height. Or was it the high heels she always wore to
work? Her job as a secretary and receptionist at a small mining company in
the south of Memphis demanded that she dress attractively.
Her Irish boss, Duncan McGregor, believed that first impressions were
extremely important. He always said, You dont get a second opportunity to
make a first impression. For the many international visitors who came to her
company, Mining Solutions, she was the face of the company. And what a
lovely face she had indeed..
It was an angular one with high cheekbones and a refined, Castillian
nose that reflected her Spanish-European heritage. Her eyes were a soft,
sympathetic shade of brown. She had the kind of eyes that made a person feel
comfortable at once. When she smiled her warm, friendly smile and said,
Welcome to Mining Solutions. May I help you?, it literally took your
breath away, and it was all you could do to remember why you were there.
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Her distinctively southern, Memphis accent only heightened that effect
upon visitors. Her voice was often compared with the melodious trill of the
mockingbird in the morning. In fact, Mockingbird Hill, sung by Patti Page,
had been her Moms favorite song. She used to sing it a lot when Goddess
was a little girl. It had become one of Goddesss favorite songs.
When the sun in the morning peeps over the hill
And kisses the roses 'round my window sill
Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
Of the birds in the treetops on Mockingbird Hill
Tra la la, tweedle dee dee dee
It gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning
To the mockingbird's trill
Tra la la tweedle dee dee dee
There's peace and good will
You're welcome as the flowers
On Mockingbird Hill
She was, as Duncan liked to say, quite an effective company calling
card for Mining Solutions. Many of the companys international visitors
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from Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina often commented favorably
about Goddess, proving him to be right about the importance of first
impressions..
Every Tuesday and Thursday for the past four weeks she had been
taking a cooking course for adults at Memphis State University. Tonight she
was finally going to make a pecan pie. The instructor, Mrs. Bernice
Hightower, had been sympathetic with her when she had told her why she
needed to learn to make a pecan pie. Its for Maximus, she had told her.
Please help me to make the best pecan pie in Memphis! Bernice had
replied, Child, in no time at all Ill have you burning in the kitchen so good
that they will have to call the fire department to put you out!
Chapter 4 - Soul Food
Mrs. Hightower was a big, black woman of fifty-five. She made all of
her students at MSU feel appreciated and talented. Many were trying their
hand at cooking for the first time in their lives. She understood and cared for
her students. It was the rare student indeed who left her Soul Food cooking
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course without having learned to cook an array of delicious southern dishes.
Goddess however, had been a challenge.
For Bernice Hightower Soul Food was a way of life, and not a way of
cooking. Her mother and her grandmother had passed down generation after
generation of delicious recipes to her. It was the activity that bound a family
together, that generated closeness and affection, not merely nutrition and
health. It had taken her the better part of the past four weeks to bring Goddess
to the understanding that Soul Food was more than a pecan pie.
Bernice had been unsure whether this young lady, who looked more like
a movie star than a secretary, would understand the deep meaning that
cooking held for her. Bernice had shared with Goddess her grandmothers
wisdom: Preparing food is an act of love. It is a southern tradition to feed
and nourish the ones you love with soul food. Traditionally, there are
collard or turnip greens, black-eyed peas, fried chicken, okra, gumbo and
other delights for the palate. It is lovingly prepared with attention to detail
and often cooked for many hours to ensure the dishes are just right.
Cooking is an art. Eating is a celebration. The food nourishes the body of
those that partake. The conversations that take place during the meal
replenish the soul.
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The pie represents so many things. Not only is it a favorite dessert of
southerners, but its ingredients are indigenous to the south. Pecan groves
have offered a respite of shade during the sultry summers in the south for
hundreds of years and a bounty of nuts in the fall, often a special treat as the
holidays approach. Karo Syrup, one of the main ingredients, is a dark corn
syrup. When it is mixed with southern molasses it creates a rich sweetness
that lingers on the tongue even after it is swallowed.
Goddess carefully selects two dozen perfect pecan halves and sets then
aside to top the pie. Other halves are finely chopped and placed on a bowl.
The crust was mixed, rolled, and placed in the baking dish. The syrup and
pecan mix was stirred and poured into the crust and the perfect pecan halves
were lovingly placed on the top. Goddess carefully placed the pie in the
preheated oven, set the timer and thought about the time when she would meet
Maximus.
He seemed like such a wonderful man - kind, smart, with a generous
and loving spirit. She felt that he was her soul mate. He was the male
complement to her femininity. They would meet at Graceland in Memphis, her
hometown, and the most metropolitan area near his birthplace as well. She
eagerly anticipated seeing the man she had come to know so well..
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Chapter 5 - Maximus Dan Teaches About Memphis
Who knows where Elvis comes from?, asked Maximus. The class
was silent. It was always like this when the class didnt know the answer or
werent sure and didnt want to risk taking a guess for fear that their
classmates would tease them if they got it wrong. Maximus began to count to
ten silently, giving his class thinking time before he would begin to give
clues to help elicit the correct answer from them. Suddenly, right at the count
of six, Roberta Ayala, the smartest girl in the class, raised her hand. Maximus
smiled. Roberta would surely know the right answer. She always did.
Elvis Presley is from Miami, Florida, she said. The class was quiet.
Roberta had done it again. She had managed to answer one of Mr. Dans
difficult questions. But why was Mr. Dan looking so strangely, so funny?
Thank you Roberta, said Maximus finally. That was a very good try,
but Im afraid its not quite correct. You are close though. You got the right
country. At that the class broke out howling in laughter. Ha Ha He He Ho
Ho Ha Ha!!! Mr. Dan rarely did such a thing as use sarcasm in class. It had
caught them all off guard since it was so completely out of character for him.
When the laughter died down Maximus Dan walked to the whiteboard and
began to draw an outline of the map of the United States. When he finished
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he said quietly, Close your books class. Now Im going to tell you a few
things about Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis, Tennessee
Maximus Dan began to teach his class about Memphis. The music called
blues was born in this southern American city. Rock and roll music also began
here. In May, the city celebrates its musical traditions.
(Statue of Elvis Rock n-Roll and W. C. Handy - Blues)
Memphis is the largest city in the southern state of Tennessee. The Mississippi
River flows along the west side of the city. Memphis is the chief center of
business, industry and transportation in Tennessee. Six-hundred-fifty-thousand
people live in the city. More than one-million people live in the area.
Memphis is famous as the birthplace of two major kinds of American music -
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the blues and rock and roll. It is also well known for soul music. Memphis,
Tennessee began as a settlement in 1819. Three men -- John Overton, James
Winchester and Andrew Jackson - started it. Andrew Jackson would later
become President of the United States. They built the settlement where the
Wolf River flowed into the Mississippi River. Mister Jackson named it after
the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, which was also built along a famous
river, the Nile.
Memphis became an important city when a railroad bridge was completed
across the Mississippi River in 1892. The bridge increased trade between the
east and the southwestern United States. By 1900, Memphis was the world's
largest market for cotton and wood products.
Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About
forty-eight percent of the city's population is African-American. In 1968, city
workers who collect garbage went on strike. Most of the workers were black.
The famous civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., went to Memphis
to support the workers. On April 4th, 1968, Reverend King was murdered in
Memphis by James Earl Ray.
After Dr. King's death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black
people. In 1991, voters elected W. E. Herenton the city's first black mayor.
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That same year, Memphis opened the National Civil Rights Museum. It was
built next to the Lorraine Motel, the place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
was killed. Many people visit the museum to learn about the history of the
American civil rights movement.
The center of Memphis extends for almost two-and-one-half kilometers along
the Mississippi River. One of the most famous streets in America - Beale
Street - is in the southern part of the city.
Composer W. C. Handy worked there as a musician in the early Nineteen-
Hundreds. Handy was known as the "Father of the Blues." In 1916, he wrote
a song about the city's famous street. It was called "Beale Street Blues."
At this point Maximus Dan played a CD he had made for the class. The class
heard the voice ofElla Fitzgerald singing Beale Street Blues:
I've seen the lights of Broadway,
Old Market Street down by the Frisco Bay,
I've strolled the Prado, I've gambled on the Bourse;
The seven wonders of the world I've seen,
And many are the places I have been,
Take my advice, folks, and see Beale Street first!
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You'll see pretty browns in beautiful gowns,
You'll see tailor-mades and hand-me-downs,
You'll meet honest men, and pick-pockets skilled,
You'll find that business never ceases 'til somebody gets killed!
If Beale Street could talk, if Beale Street could talk,
Married men would have to take their beds and walk,
Except one or two who never drink booze,
And the blind man on the corner singing "Beale Street Blues!"
I'd rather be there than any place I know,
I'd rather be there than any place I know,
It's gonna take a sergeant for to make me go!
I'm goin' to the river, maybe by and by,
Yes, I'm goin' to the river, maybe by and by,
Because the river's wet, and Beale Street's done gone dry!
Many visitors go to Beale Street at night to hear blues music performed. The
street has become a major music center in Memphis. In 1991, the famous
guitar player B-B King opened his own Blues Club on Beale Street. When he
is in Memphis, B-B King still performs with his guitar, Lucille, at his Beale
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Street Blues Club. He performs songs like Caldonia, The Thrill Is Gone, and
Johnny Be Good.
Suddenly Pablo Pedro Rodriguez Garcia raised his hand in the air. Maximus
smiled. Pablo Pedro usually made interesting and insightful observations in
class that were relevant to the topic being discussed.
What about Elvis, Mr. Dan?, he asked. I bet Elvis is from Memphis, isnt
he!, he guessed. As usual, Pablo had deduced correctly what Maximus Dan
was trying to teach the class, namely, Elvis in the context of Memphis.
Maximus smiled at Pablo and nodded his head. You are right Pablo,
Maximus said. Excellent deduction, Pablo. Pablo beamed with pride at
being praised for his contribution by his favorite teacher, Mr. Dan.
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Maximus continued: Blues was not the only music born in Memphis. Many
experts say that rock and roll music began in the city. Sam Phillips was a white
record producer there in the Nineteen-Fifties. He produced records by local
black musicians at his recording company, Sun Studio. He also produced early
recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.
One day, an eighteen-year-old truck driver came to his studio to record a song
to give to his mother. That young man was Elvis Presley.
Sam Phillips produced Presley's first real record in 1954. It was called "That's
All Right." Many experts consider it to be the first recorded rock and roll song.
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Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit
Memphis. Tourism has become a major industry. The most popular place to
visit in Memphis is Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley lived
there for twenty years until his death on August 16th, 1977. He is buried on
the grounds of Graceland, along with his parents. As many as seven-hundred-
thousand people visit Graceland every year.
There are other interesting places to visit in Memphis. The Smithsonian
Institution opened the Memphis Rock n' Soul Museum on April 29, 2000.
The museum explores the music and culture of the city. It shows how blues,
country, and soul music came together in Memphis. It is the Smithsonian's
first permanent exhibition outside Washington, D. C. and New York City.
There is a large and beautiful hotel in Memphis, called the Peabody Hotel.
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It was built in 1869. Many famous people have stayed at the Peabody. But it is
best known for some birds that live in a special place on top of the hotel - The
Peabody Marching Ducks. Every morning, the four ducks ride in an elevator
down to the first floor. They march across the main room of the hotel to a
small pool of water where they spend the day. Every afternoon, they leave
their pool and march back across the room. They ride the elevator back up to
their home. Two times a day, hundreds of people watch the Peabody Marching
Ducks.
Many people visit Memphis to take part in special events held each year in
May. This celebration is called "Memphis in May International Festival."
Each year, Memphis honors a different country during International Week,
which is being held this week.
This year the city is honoring your country, Chile, with a celebration of
Chilean customs and culture. There will be Cueca dancing, Chilean food and
artwork. There is even going to be a rodeo in the Mid-South Coliseum.
"The Memphis in May International Festival" also celebrates the traditions of
the city. Music, of course, is one tradition. Another is food. Traditional
Memphis food includes barbecued pork that is cooked outdoors over a fire.
Other traditional foods are fried chicken, catfish, fried green tomatoes and
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pecan pie. Visitors can enjoy these foods at the World Championship
Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Great Southern Food Festival.
The Beale Street Music Festival is held outdoors in W. C. Handy Park. It is
one of the largest music festivals in the country. More than sixty bands
performed last year. Later in the month, the W. C. Handy Awards for blues
performances will be presented. Past nominees have included the likes of B-B
King, Ike Turner and Buddy Guy. A song called "Memphis Blues" is often
played in the city. W. C. Handy wrote it over ninety years ago..
Chapter 6 - A Chat With Roberta
Riiiinnnnngggggg. Riiiiiinnnnnnnnggggg. The bell rang. Class was finished
for the day. Yet the students remained in their seats, spellbound by the
passion in Mr. Dans voice as he had spoken about Memphis. Maximus Dan
smiled. He was a master of the teachable moment. But it was time to
break the spell. No homework for tomorrow, he said. Tomorrow we will
compare and contrast Santiago, Chile and Memphis, Tennessee. Come
prepared ready to contribute something to the class. The class filed out
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slowly. Roberta Ayala lagged behind her classmates. She wanted to chat with
Mr. Dan.
What is it Roberta?, asked Maximus. Youre not going to hold what I said
against me, are you?
No, Mr. Dan, she said. I just wanted to ask you something.
Go ahead, said Maximus Dan.
Do you miss Memphis? Roberta asked.
Maximus Dan sighed. Yes, said Maximus Dan. I miss it a lot and as a
matter of fact, Im going to visit Memphis this year during the winter holiday.
We have winter in Chile in July. But in Memphis it is summer in July. So the
weather in Memphis is going to be really great.
Enjoy yourself Mr. Dan, said Roberta as she walked out of the door.
I will, said Maximus Dan quietly with a far away look in his eye. He was
thinking about Goddess. She was going to meet him at Memphis International
Airport when he arrived from Atlanta, Georgia
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Chapter 7 - Triskaidekaphobia
He had called Goddess last night to tell her his travel arrangements. He was
leaving Friday night on LAN Chile Flight 101, flying from Santiago to
Atlanta. Then he would take a Delta Airlines connection from Atlanta to
Memphis. He was going to arrive at Concourse A, Gate A13. He would be
arriving at 11 in the morning.
Goddess had reacted strangely when Dan told her the number of his arrival
gate, A13. She had felt a premonition of impending doom, and quite unable to
explain the feeling, begged Maximus to change his travel arrangements.
Please change your flight Maximus, she begged him. You know the
number 13 is an unlucky number! she explained to him.
Triskaidekaphobia, laughed Maximus Dan.
What?, asked Goddess. What did you say?
Maximus said: Triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13. It is usually
considered to be a superstition. A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called
paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.
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Oh, Mr. Big Vocabulary, retorted Goddess to Maximus Dan. Let me tell
you a few things about the number 13. She lowered her voice almost to a
whisper on the phone, as if guarding a terrible secret.
The number 13 has biblical meanings. At the Last Supper, Judas, the disciple
who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table. He also spilled the salt.
Who told you that?, asked Maximus.
Mrs. Bernice Hightower did, said Goddess. She knows what shes talking
about too because she always goes to a Gospel church on Sundays. You know
the preachers always teach the members of the congregation about the Bible.
What else did she tell you?, asked Maximus.
Thats all, said Goddess. But guess what my boss told me? she asked.
Duncan McGregor? What did he tell you?, asked Dan.
He told me that your Triskaidekaphobia may have also affected the
Vikings. It is believed that Loki in the Norse pantheon was the 13th god. This
was later Christianised into saying that Satan was the 13th angel.
How does Duncan McGregor know that?, asked Maximus.
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Because hes from Ireland, she said. The Irish people know all about the
Vikings because the Vikings were always raiding villages, pillaging
monasteries, killing and plundering people in Ireland for many centuries.
Maximus Dan was silent. He had to admit she was right. History tells us the
first Viking raid took place on Lambay Island off the coast of Dublin in 795.
After that, Viking raidng parties spent the winter months in Ireland.
As if reading his thoughts, Goddess continued. Of course Im right, she
said. But that isnt all of the reasons. Theres more, she said.
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Did you know that the Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi of 1686 BC omits
13 in its numbered list?, she asked. That means a superstition about the
number 13 existed long before the Christian era, she concluded.
Yes, I agree with you, said Maximus. But if I change my flight plans now
I wont be able to meet you in Memphis in summer. You know that my
school year ends in December. I wouldnt be able to travel until January. In
January the weather in Memphis is cold, wet, icy and snowy.
That is a very dangerous time to travel, said Goddess. And I want to see
you now Maximus. I can hardly wait to see you, my love!
Then its settled, said Dan. Im coming now. I can hardly wait to see you
too, darling. I have been waiting so very long to walk down Beale Street,
hand in hand with you. When we get to the statue of Elvis on Beale Street I
am going to kiss you. Once, twice, and then a third time. The first kiss is for
me. The second kiss is for you. And the third kiss is for us. You know I have
been waiting for an eternity to sit in a room and feel the way you illuminate it
with your beautiful smile. And my mouth waters every time I think of the
delicious pecan pie that you have learned to make. Mmmmm, I can really
taste that wonderful, hot pecan pie in my mouth already.
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Yes, my darling, said Goddess. Kiss me three times on Beale Street.
It was impossible for the two lovers to wait for another opportunity. Memphis
in May is wonderful, but Maximus Dan could not wait until then. They both
knew it, and they would have to risk the dreaded Concourse A, Gate A13.
Chapter 8 - Walking In Memphis
Maximus Dan had put on his blue suede shoes when his plane landed in
Atlanta. After processing through Immigration he caught his Delta connecting
flight, Flight 1455, with no difficulty. He called Goddess while his plane was
in the air using the air telephone service. She had sounded so very happy to
hear his voice. She was already waiting for him at Memphis International
Airport, in Shelby County, Tennessee, located just south of the city..
Maximus looked out the window to see Memphis. Although it was raining in
Memphis, he could see the Pyramid. Finally he saw the airport runway
coming in view. He had his seatbelt on, seat in the upright position, and
waited for the familiar thump as the wheels touched the wetrunway.
Sounds of a smooth, fluid, gentle piano were in Maximus Dans ears. He was
listening to Marc Cohen, singing Walking In Memphis, on his Walkman:
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Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W. C. Handy - won't you look down over me
Yeah I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a boy can be
Then I'm walking in Memphis
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Saw the ghost of Elvis
On Union Avenue
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
Then I watched him walk right through
Now security they did not see him
They just hovered 'round his tomb
But there's a pretty little thing
Waiting for the King
Down in the Jungle Room
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When I was walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
They've got catfish on the table
They've got gospel in the air
And Reverend Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
Boy you've got a prayer in Memphis
Now Muriel plays piano
Every Friday at the Hollywood
And they brought me down to see her
And they asked me if I would -
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
She said -
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"
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Walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel
Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain..
It was the last thing Maximus Dan heard before his plane crashed on
the wet runway in the pouring rain. He never made it to Gate A13.
In fact, there are no gates with the number 13 in Memphis
International Airport. The date was Friday, July 14, 2006. ..
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Chapter 9 - Flight 1455
The Aviation Accident Brief of Delta Airlines Flight 1455 read as follows:
Accident Number: DCA00MA030
Operator/Flight Number: Delta Airlines Flight 1455
Aircraft and Registration: Boeing 737-300, N668SW
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Date: July 14, 2006
HISTORY OF FLIGHT 1455
On July 14, 2006, about 1100 Central standard time (CDT) Delta Airlines,
Inc., Flight 1455, a Boeing 737-300 (737), N668SW, overran the departure
end of runway 36L after landing at Memphis International Airport (MEM),
Memphis, Tennessee. The airplane touched down at approximately 182 knots,
and about 20 seconds later, at approximately 32 knots, collided with a metal
blast fence and an airport perimeter wall. The airplane came to rest on a city
street near a gas station off of the airport property. Of the 142 persons on
board, 2 passengers sustained serious injuries; 41 passengers and the captain
sustained minor injuries; and 94 passengers, 3 flight attendants, and the first
officer sustained no injuries. The airplane sustained extensive exterior damage
and some internal damage to the passenger cabin. During the accident
sequence, the forward service door (1R) escape slide inflated inside the
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airplane; the nose gear collapsed; and the forward dual flight attendant
jumpseat, which was occupied by two flight attendants, partially collapsed.
The flight, which was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan, was
conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121. Visual
meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, which
occurred in a pouring rain under daylight lighting conditions.
According to Delta Airlines records, the accident flight was the flight crew's
first flight of what was scheduled to be a 3-day flight sequence that consisted
of five flights. The accident flight originated at Atlanta International Airport
(HJAIA), Atlanta, Georgia, and was scheduled to depart about 0900 for MEM.
The first officer of the accident flight stated to National Transportation Safety
Board investigators that he arrived at HJAIA about 0700, and the captain
indicated that he arrived about 0730. The first officer reported in a
postaccident interview that he met the captain on the way to the gate. Delta
Airlines records indicate that the accident airplane arrived at HJAIA from Los
Angeles International Airport, (LAX) Los Angeles, California, about 0630,
almost 2 hours behind schedule, because of rain and gusting winds in the
Atlanta area. The accident flight crew indicated that the preflight inspection
was normal and that no maintenance discrepancies were noted..
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Chapter 10 - An Irishmans Luck
When the plane crashed Dan was thrown forward violently. He hit his head
on the seat in front of him and lost consciousness immediately. When he
regained consciousness he was at Baptist Memorial Hospital, in the Intensive
Care Unit. Nurse Belynka OSullivan was smiling down at him.
Where am I? asked Maximus.
Welcome to Memphis, said Belynka. Youre at Baptist Memorial
Hospital. Im Belynka OSullivan. Im your nurse.
How long am I going to be here? asked Maximus.
The doctors should be here any moment now on their morning rounds. I
think they will probably keep you for observation for another 24 hours and
then release you. You dont have any neurological problems and the CAT
scan of your cranium was negative. I think you are a very lucky Irishman to
have survived a plane crash. Oh, heres Doctor Miller now.
Good morning Mr. Maximus Dan Clark Fitzgerald, said Dr. Miller.
Youve had quite a long nap my friend. How are you feeling this morning?
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Maximus smiled. I feel like someone hit me on the head with a
sledgehammer Doc, said Maximus. Other than that I feel wonderful. When
can I leave the hospital? Ive got places to go and someone really special to
see here in Memphis. Ive got a date in the Kings Jungle Room to keep.
Doctor Miller laughed at Maximus Dans joke. A sense of humor was always
a good sign. You have had a remarkable recovery Mr. Clark. All of the tests
we ran on you were negative. You worried us a bit with your long nap so
we kept you for overnight observation here in the ICU. We will run another
Computerized Axial Tomography scan on your head to compare with your
previous CAT scans. If the results confirm your present neurological status
we will discharge you from the hospital this evening.
Dr. Miller shook Maximus Dans hand and turned to go. Suddenly he turned,
as if remembering something. Oh, by the way, he said. Theres someone
here to see you. Her name is Goddess Estrella Segovia Wilson. She has
been here all night long.
Thanks Doc, said Maximus Dan with tears in his eyes as Goddess walked
into the room, illuminating it with her lovely smile..
The End