Chapter Eighty Nine

For all of February and most of March, Henry and Jenny went about their daily living. Henry was still involved with the gallery most days and Jenny was slowly getting back into her routine, as well. Henry knew Jenny needed time to mourn and let her life slowly come together again. For the most part it seemed as if Henry and Jenny had entered into a courting period in which they began to know each other even more intimately. They both desired one another but had made the decision to wait. But to wait for what…?

Since Jenny returned from Ottawa, neither brought up the topic of marriage. Jenny thought perhaps Henry avoided this subject as it was too soon after James’ passing. But three months had elapsed and still Henry hadn’t brought it up. Jenny wondered if perhaps she should. Maybe he no longer wanted to marry. He had been talking quite a bit about supporting the missionary work that his friend was doing.

All such thinking, however, was about to change.

It was the first week of April and a chinook was moving into the prairies from Alberta. The weather for most of March was very cold but with the news of this forecast and evidence of it warming in the last couple of days lifted everyone’s spirits. It showed on people’s faces and how they greeted one another. The hibernation season would soon be over.

Jenny was gazing out into her backyard when the phone rang. She knew it would be Henry. He called at pretty much the same time each day and was as dependable as clockwork… but not always…

“Hi Honey, I bet you were standing by the kitchen window looking at your back yard and visualizing it filled with all the beautiful flowers.”

“See, I am as predictable as you. I was just thinking that it would be you calling as you do so at this same time each day.”

“Well now, I better change my pattern… wouldn’t want to be taken for granted. Perhaps what I have to say will get you guessing again.”

“And what could that be, Henry?”

“There’s something I want to show you that will lift your heart to the highest height. It’s something filled with so much wonderment that it will lift you instantly off your feet…”

“Now you have my interest, Henry. I’m very intrigued. What is it that you want to show me?”

“It’s something that must be seen just at the crack of dawn. This Friday is April 1st and the sun rises at six forty nine. So we have to be at a certain location at least an hour before…”

“Henry, April 1st is April Fool’s Day… are you going to play a prank on me?”

“Yeah, that’s right! Friday is April Fool’s Day. That makes it all the better! Yes, it will be a lighthearted celebration, indeed!”

Henry yawned as he drove into the city to pick up Jenny. At precisely five a.m. Henry pulled up in front of Jenny’s home. Her outside light was on. Just as Henry was about to get out, he noticed the living room light go out and the front door open. Henry’s heart raced just at the sight of her silhouette. But even more so, Henry’s heart pounded in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Jenny ran to the SUV and opened the door and hopped in. She turned to Henry and with her most serious stare and tone said, “Henry, are you certain this isn’t an April Fool’s joke?”

“Jen, I am so sorry, I got my dates mixed up. It’s actually tomorr—”

Jenny punched him in the shoulder, “Please don’t keep me in suspense any longer! I’ve been racking my mind trying to think what you want to show me.”

“Fasten your seat belt, Jenny. You will soon know.”

Jenny leaned over and kissed Henry on the cheek before she fastened up. Henry pulled away and made his way to Albert Street and then headed north. Jenny kept looking at Henry to anticipate where he was going to stop but he went straight through the city. Once on the outskirts, he took the turn off ramp to Lumsden and Saskatoon.

“Henry, where on earth are you going? Not back to your acreage?”

“No, not quite, about five miles more and we will be there.”

At exit A, Henry turned off the main highway and headed down a gravel road. It was clear of all snow as were much of the fields. Henry was amazed at how much snow had melted in the last few days.

Just a mile or so before Tragarva, a small town just outside of Regina, Henry and Jenny saw the lights of several cars in a field. It looked eerie. Henry slowed his truck and muttered, “That must be them—”

“Who?” Jenny exclaimed.

“You’ll see…”

Jenny turned to Henry and punched him again. “Don’t be so cruel! Tell me!”

Henry chuckled and turned off the gravel road onto the field. At least seven people were working on something and their car lights were positioned to light up what they were working on.

“What is going on…Henry?”

Suddenly, Jenny knew what was happening as they pulled up nearer to the site. “Oh, Henry we are not going to go up in a hot air balloon, are we?”

“We’re going to fly high today, Sweetheart.”

“Oh, my gosh, Henry!”Jenny shrieked. “I can’t…ooh, Henry, I just can’t!”

“Yes, you can, Jenny…” It reminded Henry of the little nursery rhyme, The Little Engine That Could and the words he repeated, I think I can, I think I can, that early morning he was rushing Julean to the hospital.

“Jenny, did I ever tell you of the time I delivered Justin?”

Jenny wasn’t listening. She was staring intently at the deflated balloon.

Henry got out of the car and made his way over to someone that was already approaching him. Jenny saw them shake hands and whispered, “Oh my dear guardian angel help me, I don’t know if I can get in that basket.”

Henry and the other man approached the SUV on Jenny’s side. She rolled down the window.

“Morning. You’re Jenny, right?’

“Yes, I’m Jenny, and a terrified Jenny, at that.”

“I’m Sam, Jenny, and believe me there’s nothing to worry about. It’s very safe and once you lift off it will be the most exhilarating experience of a life time. Trust me.”

“Oh, Sam…how high will it go?” Jenny wanted to know.

“As high as you want. There is a limit of course. But we can stay low if you wish, but I guarantee you that once you start ascending, you will want to go higher. You’re in for a heavenly ride.”

The word, heavenly struck a chord. It gave her a sense of security.

“We are all set to start inflating the balloon. We would like to have you and Henry up in the air before the sun rise. To see the sun come up, Jenny, will take your breath away. It’s a spectacular sight.”

Jenny saw several men hold the balloon open at its neck and start up an inflator fan. The sight of this immense balloon inflating took Jenny’s breath away. It was as if the balloon came to life; the fabric billowing slowly lifted off the ground, air easing into its edges and rippling through to its tip. “Oh my God, please help me.” She felt her heart rise along with her stomach. She put both of her hands to her mouth and shook her head.

Henry came to the door, “Come on, honey, I told you this would lift your heart and sweep you off your feet!”

“Oooh, Henry…” Jenny gasped, her breath hanging in the cool air.

Henry held the door open and gestured for her to come out. Sam had a huge smile on his face and offered his hand to help her down from the high SUV. Slowly, Jenny shifted in her seat and swung her legs to the opening of the door and stepped down on the frost covered stubble. The balloon was growing enormously in front of them. Henry had to admit his heart was racing as well but tried hard to conceal it and avoided speaking to cover any nervousness in his voice.

Once the balloon was half full, the men attached the basket and burner. As soon as the burner was fired up, the balloon expanded more rapidly.

It was spellbinding to watch this huge monster grow and lift off the ground. Henry and Jenny had seen hot air balloons up in the sky but not at this close range. They never would have believed it was this gigantic. They looked like ants beside it. Henry estimated that it took up more space than a fifty by one hundred foot city lot.

“Wow. It’s taking the shape of a million watt light bulb!”

Sam chuckled over Henry’s analogy, “They get a lot bigger than this one, Henry.”

“Is the material fire proof?” asked Jenny cautiously.

“It is coated with a chemical substance,” replied Sam. “Once the balloon is inflated with hot air, it’s very fire proof and safe, Jenny.”

Sam pointed to the pilot and added, “Don has been flying balloons for over 12 years. He’s very skilled and takes your safety and enjoyment as the prime consideration. You are in excellent hands.”

Sam’s reassuring words and calm voice was soothing and instilled confidence in both Jenny and Henry.

“Will it be cold up there; maybe I should have worn something warmer?” Jenny asked, her nervousness chilled her, adding to the brisk, cool air she was feeling.

“You will be fine. It’s not any colder up there than here and in fact, you feel warmer as the heat from the inside of the balloon radiates out towards you.”

Jenny grabbed Henry’s arm and hugged it.

The balloon was fully inflated and upright. It pulled on the basket which was still firmly anchored to the ground.

“Oh, my gosh,” Jenny muttered in anticipation of getting into what appeared to be no more than an oversized picnic basket!

Don came over and Sam introduced him to Henry and Jenny.

“This is a perfect morning for a flight,” said Don, “just a slight breeze and we’ll be up there just in time to see the sun come up.”

Don climbed into the basket and motioned Henry and Jenny to follow.

Jenny pulled back on Henry’s arm as he stepped forward. If the truth be known Henry was every bit as frightened as Jenny. Bravely, he muttered, “It will be okay, Jen… let’s go for it.”

Somehow those daring words instilled courage into Jenny’s trembling body. Henry climbed in first and then helped Jenny from inside the basket and Sam helped lift her from the outside.

The basket was made ideally for four people. Henry looked around for some kind of seat belt or life jacket or parachute but there was none; only ropes and a railing on the basket to hold on to. Jenny placed one hand on a rope and the other hand tightly gripped onto Henry’s arm.

Sam and another man began to free the basket from the anchors. There was a sudden loud blast as the torch was turned on startling Henry and Jenny. Yellow flames emitted from the burner snarled into the interior of the balloon like crazed snake tongues.

The roar of the burner was deafening and gave Henry and Jenny a momentary respite from their apprehensiveness. Before their fear could regain its foothold they were surprised as the earth seemed to fall away from them. They had both braced themselves to shoot off the ground in an upward, driving thrust, but instead it felt motionless; surreal. They wouldn’t have even known that they were rising, if it weren’t for the image of Sam waving and the cars on the field growing smaller and smaller.

Within minutes they had ascended high into the brisk morning air. Soon they would see the rising sun from that perspective before the men on the ground. Their anxiety and foreboding was turning into a feeling of exhilaration that neither had felt before.

The sky above the eastern horizon was catching more and more light. Streaks of red, pink and orange slowly overcame the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. As Henry and Jenny drank in this breathtaking display of radiant colours, suddenly, there was a deafening silence. The pilot turned off the burner. He had reached the height he wanted. Although they were drifting with the wind, it seemed as if they were standing still; suspended and caught in a thrilling feeling of awe.

Henry leaned over the edge of the basket with a smile he hadn’t felt since that day he had met Jenny. He shook his head as they glided, silently, weightlessly, serenely through the sky and recalled those precious memories. He had retrieved his bike from Mr. Engelmann’s store after walking Jenny home. He felt now like he did then speeding down the road passing 13th, 14th and 15th Avenues in a flash, taking the long way home. Memories flooded back of gazing into Jenny’s eyes that first moment at the store; how beautiful she was and how wonderful it was to hold her hand. Elation had soared through him as he pedaled along. He recalled vividly how it had felt like he was in a hot air balloon, instead of on his bike, coasting over the streets and intersections, fuelled by the torch in his heart!

Perhaps, Henry thought, this was why he had decided to take Jenny on this memorable adventure…

“Henry,” Jenny gasped, breaking him out of his reverie…“This is absolutely wonderful! I feel like I’m floating in the sky!”

“I always knew you were an angel!”

“Look, the sun is coming up!” Jenny exclaimed excitedly.

Henry let go of the rope and turned to catch an orange slice of sun peek over the horizon and begin to burn into the edge of the earth. Rays shot upward and then down towards them and down still further as the sun ascended. The dark snow-covered fields came to life, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colours. Shadows scampered in all directions with no place to hide. Farms that dotted the landscape as tiny twinkles of light suddenly lit up.

The scene before Jenny was so breathtaking, it broke into a memory of her stint on the other side. The heavenly, joyous feeling she had then was re-captured now. Hannah had been waiting for this moment to awaken her protégée’s memory of when Jenny had stood next to Henry and Father Engelmann before the brilliant tunnel of light. The memory intermingled now in Jenny’s vision along with the blazing sun as it grew brighter and brighter into the morning sky…

Jenny could no longer contain her bubbling excitement as she stood next to her first love. Closing her eyes as the warmth of the rising sun caressed her face, she allowed the full impact of the memory to invade her mind. There she was, with Henry and Father Engelmann at the gates of Heaven, bathed in a brilliant light. In her mind, Jenny saw her eyes sparkle and flash as she turned to Father and said, “Our guardian angels brought us here to pick you up. Perhaps you will marry us before we enter heaven, or perhaps after. A heavenly marriage would be so wonderful…”

“I’m sorry to say, Jenny, marriage in heaven does not exist.”

“But, Father, maybe, just maybe, a rule can be broken. Henry and I have desired this for so long, that perhaps even the good Lord will make an exception.”

“Yes,” Father admitted. “The Lord does remind us in Isaiah 55:9, ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

“See, there you are, anything is possible with God!” Jenny blurted…

Suddenly, Jenny was pulled from her vision as she felt Henry take her hand now in his and raise it before him. He gazed lovingly into Jenny’s glistening blue eyes and, as if they were back standing on the doorsteps to heaven, Henry asked the words Jenny had longed and yearned to hear over the years…

“Jenny, will you marry me…?”

Tears of ecstasy streamed down Jenny’s cheeks as Henry slipped a narrow gold band onto her finger next to James’ wedding ring and she cried, “Yes!…yes!…Yes!”

Their spirits soared with love and affection; the sun glowed brighter than even the dazzling tunnel of light. Laughter, buoyant cries of exultation effervesced into the celestial atmosphere. The balloon began to spin!

For a moment, the pilot thought he had lost control of his craft. If only the unseen were visible, he would have known that the sudden, rapid rotation of the balloon was due to Hannah’s wings flapping so exuberantly in sympathy with Jenny’s over joy!

Don couldn’t help overhearing the proposal and waited as long as he could before starting up the burner. The flames leaped into the balloon, lifting it once more into the glorious sky as if propelled by Henry and Jenny’s love.

They no longer had to relive memories of that memorable summer of 1956. Their guardian angels had fulfilled their promises!

“Yes!” Henry shouted into the warming prairie sky, just as he had on the day he had met his first love…

“This, is what it feels like… to be in love!”