The 95th Floor

by N R Brooks

  “I love you too, babe.” Her affection nearly made my throat tighten.

  We hung up, and I just sat there on my bed, trying to make sense of what was happening in my life. The more I thought about it, the more questions I had. I realized now that I had seriously messed with the timeline. If everything happens the way it was looking like it was going to, I would have a kid when I was supposed to only be seventeen years old, yet I am thirty-six now. A thirty-six year old man who was born seventeen years ago. Then, as I thought about it some more, I realized I had no clue what my real age was anymore. How old was I?? I was 34 when I came to this time, but ended up in a different month than I started out in…the whole thing was making my head hurt.

  I would be taking a short trip this weekend so she and I can discuss everything then. I wouldn’t have to bother Jeni with taking time off, so that is one less thing to worry about. I wondered how soon she would hear the news though.

  I cleared my head of all of that and finished putting the letter in the envelope and wrote down the address that by now I had memorized. When I left my room, I saw Ziad on the couch, reading more flight manuals that he had purchased. I felt like bringing up the subject of my newly discovered fatherhood might allow me to apply some pressure to him and his ever-conflicting emotions.

  “Hey Ziad, keeping up with your training?”

  “Yeah, I have loved this stuff since I was a kid. Now I can finally fly for real.” He always looked excited when talking about flying. I never understood how a man with a passion for aviation could waste his life by intentionally crashing one.

  “We both can. So I just found out that my girlfriend is pregnant. I’m going to be a dad!”

  “That is great, my friend! I am happy for you.”

  “Yeah, I am still a bit shocked about it though, but I am definitely excited. What about you and Aysel? You guys are married. Have you thought about, you know, taking it a step further? Maybe have some kids of your own?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. We haven’t really spoken about such things in a very long time. I don’t know if I am ready for all of that responsibility, you know? I am only twenty-three.” He admitted.

  “Well, why not? You guys are still young. I’m sure you would be great parents. I mean, you both are good looking people, I’m sure you would have great looking kids.” I teased but tried to sound convincing to implant the idea in his head.

  “I don’t know.” His smile went away as if his head was swirling with conflicting thoughts, battling each other at the expense of his mood.

  “Oh, no worries, man. I just wanted to share the good news with you. Don’t worry about what I said. You and Aysel make your own decisions. I just thought you guys make a great couple and want to see you both happy for a long time. I’ll leave you to your manuals. I have to run to the post office again.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder to reassure him that all was okay.

  He gave me a half smile to acknowledge what I had said. “It is okay, my friend. I just don’t know what I want to do with my life sometimes. But don’t you worry. It is not your concern. I am happy for you. I really am.”

  “Thanks, man. Oh, before I forget, I will be gone over the weekend. This whole being a parent thing came all of a sudden so I am going to go be with her so we can sort of figure out what we are going to do, make plans and stuff, you know.”

  “Actually, I was going to be leaving for Europe again next week too.”

  This came as another shock. He literally was just there for a month only a few weeks ago.

  “Oh wow, again? I mean, that is great. You guys have been spending a lot of time with each other, that is good!” I was hoping that all of this was coming about due to my influence.

  “Actually, I am not going to visit Aysel this time. My father had to have emergency heart surgery, and I am going to visit him while he recovers. I am not really sure when I will be back. I just want to go and make sure he will be okay.”

  “Oh shit, I didn’t mean to assume. I am sorry to hear that, is he going to be alright?”

  “I don’t know, I hope so. I just need to see him, it has been a while.” He was actually looking quite depressed now.

  “Well don’t worry, I am sure everything will turn out alright. I’ll guard the fort while you are gone. Just make sure and tell Aysel hi for me if you do end up seeing her, alright?” I said, trying to raise his spirits again.

  “Will do, my friend.” He waved goodbye to me as I walked out the door and went right back to his manuals.

  After driving to the post office and dropping off my letter, I decided to visit the bookstore to pick up some books on parenting and some pregnancy manuals. I knew absolutely nothing about caring for a child and I didn’t know if Keiko did either. Better to be prepared for the worst. Raising a child might prove even more difficult than stopping the worst terrorist attack in history.

  Friday was as chaotic as it could get. Keiko managed to schedule me a flight out of Sarasota in the early evening which made it so I had to rush directly from work to the airport. I had my things packed already for the weekend but ended up riding on the plane in my work shirt. I really didn’t mind too much, but I still would have preferred to have time to change into something more comfortable.

  I was surprised to find out Keiko hadn’t mentioned anything to Jeni as they seemed to have gotten to be pretty close friends over the months. After the initial excitement of the news came an endless slew of jokes regarding the surprising functionality of my male organs—shooting blanks, shooting dust, impotence, that sort of thing. I will admit though, she came up with some pretty good ones. I found them quite hilarious, honestly.

  During almost the entire plane ride I read the parenting and pregnancy books I had purchased only days earlier. It seemed that just as I was getting to a section of information that I was really focusing on, we were already landing in Newark. This didn’t vex me as much as it normally would have because that only meant my meeting with Keiko was only moments away.

  When I finally disembarked and made my way to the baggage carousel, I spotted her. I was overjoyed to see that Pops was with her as well. She never mentioned that he would be driving her out here, so I guess they wanted to surprise me. They were beyond successful.

  “Hey, you guys!” I yelled when I spotted them.

  Keiko ran to me and jumped in my arms like she usually does. “Stan! I missed you!”

  “I bet I missed you more,” I replied after a long-awaited kiss on the lips.

  “Hey-hey! Yous guys better not forget me.” Pops said with a big smile on his face.

  I set Keiko down and walked over to Pops to give him a big bear hug.

  “I hope you are fine with just the hug. Our whiskers might get tangled.”

  “Sure, leave a guy hangin’” He joked back.

  “Well, at least I’m leaving you hanging and not with blue balls.”

  “Heh, don’t be so sure about that.” I had to admit defeat with that remark.

  “Get a room you two.” Keiko butted in.

  “It is great to see you Pops. When Keiko told me they let you off, I couldn’t exhale enough to express my true relief.”

  “Yeah, well, I kind of figured that is how it would play out. I’ve been in the pizza business a long time, and I’ve had my fair share of scrapes in the past. Nothing like what happened, mind you. But I have done a little research in the laws in the past. You know, just in case.”

  “That’s a good idea. Still, I felt horrible for months. Keiko here didn’t fare any better. We both were in the dumps for a long time; about Ian and all as well as your situation.” I put my arm around Keiko for support.

  “Yeah, poor kid didn’t deserve what he got. I’m really gonna miss ‘im.” You could see how the past few months had aged him in his expression.

  “Well, let’s remember him in good spirits. None of this moping around, he would give us all shit for it.” I gestured towards the exit after grabbing my luggage.

  “Yeah, you
guys have good news of your own. I’m happy for ya. If it’s a boy, you better name it after ol’ Pops over here.”

  “Uh sorry, Pops. Sal just isn’t a name we had in mind.” Keiko shot him down.

  “And Pops isn’t really high up on the list though either.” I had to add.

  “Man, you guys are a tough crowd.”

  Honestly, we hadn’t even discussed names or anything. It was much too early for that. We hadn’t really discussed anything yet, that was the whole point of me coming up here on such short notice.

  “Poor Pops. You going to spend some time with us at the apartment?” Keiko asked.

  “Naw, I think I’m going to go in the pizza shop and try to figure out a game plan for getting it going again. It’s been down since New Years, and I have lawyer fees up the ass. I’ll be paying those off until I’m in the grave.”

  Just as he mentioned that I had a good idea.

  “Hey Pops, once the baby is born, I’ll give you a surefire way to pay off all your lawyer bills, and have enough money to retire on and live the rest of your days in comfort.” If everything worked out after September, I figured I owed Pops more than I could personally give him, but I did have certain knowledge of the future which would make someone very rich.

  “Oh yeah? Well, shit. I’m all ears, my boy!” His eyes widened at the idea of retiring.

  “Well, like I said, hit me up when the baby is here, and I’ll make sure it happens.”

  “What about us? I sure would like to get out of that tiny apartment.” Keiko nudged me in the ribs to get my attention to her.

  “Babe, you know I would make sure you have the best life possible. That’s why I am in Florida. I promise, you will live like the queen that you are to me. Just give me a little more time.”

  This ended the conversation, and we got in Pops’ car and drove back into Manhattan.

  We all climbed into the car and made our way back into Manhattan. Pops, being an older gentleman, was the type to listen to talk radio rather than music when he drove. When he turned the ignition on his car, a loud female radio announcer was blaring in my ears.

  “…and this morning at 12:59am eastern time, the Russian space station Mir was sent into a controlled de-orbit to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in a climactic end to its 15 year mission. The construction of the station began back in 1986 by the Soviet Space Agency and continued after the fall of the Soviet Union with funding by the Russian Federal Space Agency. The controlled destruction of the space station is the result of a lack of funding from the Russian Government as they have reallocated funding towards the joint effort of the International Space Station.

  “And on to other news, this morning another black hole object had caused the evacuation of a flat complex at Marienstraße 54 in Hamburg, Germany. Reports indicate that this object is a rare find as it was not discovered underground causing a sinkhole as most have but instead was above ground, hovering in mid-air at approximately the second floor. Information given to the Associated Press tells us that rather than a single black object, this discovery is a group of objects that have coalesced into one larger object. Nobody has been reported as injured but the destruction of the complex is said to be immense…”

  “No…fucking…way…” I said out loud.

  I must have said it loud enough for Pops and Keiko to hear me over the radio.

  “What is it?” Keiko turned around and asked.

  “Oh. Uh, nothing. It just shocked me to hear one being found in Germany. I thought they were only appearing in the US.” I lied. The address the object was found is what drew my attention.

  “What? You livin’ under a rock or something? Those things have been poppin’ up all over the place. Worldwide.” Pops said, clearly disturbed that I apparently wasn’t up on the current events.

  “I don’t really watch much TV or listen to the radio.” I shrugged off his comment.

  This is getting too strange. There is no way this can be a coincidence. I kept to myself the remainder of the short drive. Marienstraße was the avenue that Atta and his group of radicals stayed in Hamburg; the group that would be labeled the ‘Hamburg Cell.’ I couldn’t remember what building number they lived in, but I had a suspicion that 54 was it. I was beginning to wonder if these black spots had anything to do with me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had a part in it.

  I tried not to dwell on the issue of the black spots because my purpose for this trip was to discuss the situation with Keiko being pregnant. Regardless of other pressing matters I had to deal with, they never went away and were always in the back of my mind.

  We parked at the closed pizzeria and parted ways there. Neither Keiko nor I wanted to venture inside that building just yet. The memories were still fresh, and the last thing a pregnant woman needs is to be bombarded with stress and traumatic experiences. Instead, we crossed the street and made our way inside the apartment that I had grown so fond of. Even the number 11 had stopped giving me chills ages ago. I was confident that number would have no significant meaning in a few more months.

  We discussed my coming back to Manhattan which I was already planning on doing eventually. I had the feeling that I was getting through to Ziad if only slightly. I explained that I would return no later than September. While this was much longer than Keiko was hoping for, it would still be earlier than the baby would arrive.

  I vowed that I would help Pops get his pizzeria going again until he had a reliable crew that could take over. After that, I would see about trying to get a job at one of the airlines. That would still be a while from now, but it is always good to plan ahead.

  Once we had our plans made, I took Keiko out to try some Lebanese food that I had been dying to introduce her to. There was a Mediterranean restaurant nearby which served many of the menu items that I saw at the Lebanese place in Miami. I ordered the same thing I had back then and recommended some dishes for Keiko to try. As expected, she loved it just as much as I did.

  Unfortunately, the time for my return to Florida came much faster than I would have liked. When did weekends seem to get shorter? Just like my arrival, I was accompanied by Keiko, and Pops who chauffeured us in his vehicle. The two of us explained to him our plan for the remainder of the year and also discussed my helping him when I returned. He explained that by then he should already have a crew trained and most likely wouldn’t need my help but that I was always welcome to come back; there would always be a place there for me.

  I returned to Florida in a great mood, not only because of what the future would bring to Keiko and me, but I was still so happy that I got to see Pops again and that he wasn’t going to be spending any time in prison. Even with the lingering and unsettling thoughts in the back of my mind about how these mysterious black hole objects could somehow be intertwined with my unwelcome meddling of what was my past, I couldn’t help but have a positive outlook on what my life was becoming.

  My positive attitude remained for weeks. I had more fun at work than I had ever had. When I brought up the fact that I would only be remaining for a few more months, Jeni was visibly disappointed, but supportive nonetheless. I had to admit, I was really going to miss her. We had become really good friends to the point that I often forgot that she was actually my boss. She never pressed the matter at all, so I sometimes wondered if she forgot that fact also.

  She stayed in contact with Keiko, although, not at the level I did. They would talk maybe once a week where Keiko and I kept in contact in one way or another nearly every day. It wasn’t always via phone call as I would often send her short little ‘I Love You’ notes in the mail, much like the ones a lover would leave on the pillow in the morning before departing for work. She would send similar items in the mail, sometimes surprising me with items that bordered on erotic.

  I had wished that my life could have remained on the rails of perpetual jubilation, but it was clearly not meant to be. The 13th of April would become a major turning point that shook my confidence to its core.

  C
hapter 27

  Ziad returned from Europe on the 13th and arrived in a bizarre mood, much unlike him. I was wondering if he was beginning to feel overwhelmed with his ever-present conflict between completing his mission and his love for Aysel. I was preparing to ask him if everything was okay but didn’t need to as Ziad had apparently been waiting to speak with me.

  “Oh Stan, hello. I need to speak to you.” He said as he walked through the front door.

  “Oh really? What’s up?”

  Instead of replying right away, he walked right past me to his room to put his luggage away. I stood there confused as his blank expression was telling me absolutely nothing about what he was thinking. He finally walked out of his room and sat down to resume talking to me.

  “I hate to say this to you, but I am moving out at the end of the month. I am leaving to pursue bigger and better things, probably do some more training somewhere else and try to finish getting my commercial license.”

  This was not what I was expecting. This was a huge wrench thrown into my plans. We still had just less than five months until September, and this couldn’t have come at a worse time.

  “Damn, really? Are you sure it isn’t me? Like, is there something wrong here?” I didn’t really want to say this, but it was all that came out at the moment.

  “No, everything is great here. You and I are great friends. I just came here for flight school, and now I want to travel around and try to finish up my training. I don’t need to stay here anymore. I want to fly planes, just like you.”

  “Where do you plan on moving to? Maybe you and I could room up someplace, you know?”

  “I don’t know yet. I plan on looking around, probably someplace nearby, but then again, maybe not.”

  This was not helpful at all, but I needed to know where he was going. I couldn’t end it now.

  “Well, Ziad, I am sad that you are leaving. I have your cell phone number though, and you have mine, right? We can at least keep in touch.”

  “Of course, my friend. Of course we will keep in touch.” He said, finally giving what could be considered a slight smile.