MEET ME IN

MEMPHIS
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 Irishman’s 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 Keating’s 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 Keating’s advice for the past three months. The results have

been spectacular and Dan’s “Long Goodbye” has ended…….

In Memphis, Goddess wonders how she is going to prepare a pecan pie.

The pecan pie is Dan’s solitary culinary desire. His other desire is to sit in the

dark and feel it illuminated by the smile on her face. Goddess isn’t 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 King’s “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 father’s 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, Dan’s 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 Chile’s

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 Alegría, who brought tears to Maximus Dan’s eyes as he read the

lines of Alegria’s 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 Alegría

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 country’s 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 dog’s 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 Coruña? A clenched fist in San Gregorio?

Or an Easter Islander bleeding in the nightfall of his beaches?

Didn’t the troubador croon his solitude unto the divine

While his humanity, hanged himself with the strings of his guitar?

Didn’t 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 earthquake’s 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 Chile’s 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 Santiago’s subway system, the Metro, at Las Torres, or he would be late

again for his eight o’clock, 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 don’t 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 Mom’s favorite song. She used to sing it a lot when Goddess

was a little girl. It had become one of Goddess’s 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 company’s 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. “It’s 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 I’ll 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 grandmother’s

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 it’s 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 didn’t know the answer or

weren’t sure and didn’t 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. Dan’s

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 I’m afraid it’s 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 I’m 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 of Ella 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, isn’t

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. Dan’s 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. “You’re 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, I’m 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 she’s 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.

“That’s 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 he’s 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 I’m right”, she

said. “But that isn’t all of the reasons. There’s 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 won’t be able to meet you in Memphis in summer. You know that my

school year ends in December. I wouldn’t 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 it’s settled”, said Dan. “I’m 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 wet runway.

Sounds of a smooth, fluid, gentle piano were in Maximus Dan’s 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

35
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…..

36
 Chapter 10 - An Irishman’s 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 O’Sullivan was smiling down at him.

“Where am I?” asked Maximus.

“Welcome to Memphis”, said Belynka. “You’re at Baptist Memorial

Hospital”. “I’m Belynka O’Sullivan. I’m 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 don’t 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, here’s Doctor Miller now”.

“Good morning Mr. Maximus Dan Clark Fitzgerald”, said Dr. Miller.

“You’ve had quite a long nap my friend. How are you feeling this morning?”

37
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? I’ve got places to go and someone really special to

see here in Memphis. I’ve got a date in the King’s Jungle Room to keep.”

Doctor Miller laughed at Maximus Dan’s 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 Dan’s hand and turned to go. Suddenly he turned,

as if remembering something. “Oh, by the way”, he said. “There’s 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
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