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Gortex drives to Chania Airport
Something is bothering Jay in his sleep; just in front of his eyes he can see two hands outstretched with 10 fingers pointing upwards and someone is mumbling something: “Chania Airport; Jay, Chania Airport in 10 minutes!”
Finally Jay remembers; they’re going to pick up Asa at the airport. He opens his eyes and sees Gortex right in front of him. Gortex goes on with his litany: “We have only 10 minutes left, Jay. Get up!”
Jay jumps out of bed. Gortex grabs him by the hand and pulls him through the house and into the garden and then through the gate, where the car is parked, with the engine humming...
Gortex opens the door for him and jumps in himself.
“You are a lucky man, Jay. I am the only one in this town who can drive you to the airport in 10 minutes; in this car of course”, he says
“OK, let’s go!”
Off he goes; the first 50 meters is just a spinning of wheels until they are up in 80km. Jay puts on the seat belt and tightens it.
“Actually my record is 12 minutes, but I have only 10 fingers to show, you know!”
Jay smiled a little. Still feeling dizzy after the meeting with L.J.and his nap…
It takes Gortex 15 minutes to drive to the airport, due to the rush hours.
Gortex says: “it’s ok Jay, they are still disembarking and that will take 10 more minutes. No problem”.
They park and go inside to wait for the passengers to arrive in the arrival hall. Gortex hurries ahead of Jay. When he reaches the banister outside the gates he stops and pulls up a piece of paper where it says: “Asa Cedar”
Jay comes up to him and notices the paper Gortex is holding up in front of his chest. Jay reaches over and takes the paper and crumbles it. “She wants to be left in peace here, you know. She is here to relax from all the publicity she has wherever she goes. OK?” Gortex looks a little ashamed and looks down to the floor: “I see, it was stupid of me, but I could not resist it”.
“So, you are a fan?” “Not exactly, but she is a big star and I have never met any of them in real life”. Not to mention that I am going to drive her in my car!” He grinned broadly now...
Then the gates opened and passengers came streaming out into the hall. They were mainly Brits arriving from London. “Asa is small”, Jay said, “but you can track by her colours and extravagant clothing!”
“Yes I know”, Gortex replied. Then he spotted some fancy colours in between the shorts and sandals clothed crowd; “there she is, there she is!” Jay had to laugh at him; he was acting like a little boy!
So, finally she came all the way out and saw Jay at the banister and came up and greeted him with kisses on his cheeks. Gortex was just standing as frozen beside Jay. Jay pointed at him and said: “this is Gortex, our driver”. Asa looked at Gortex and said to Jay: “He is a very sweet, young man!” Then she flashed a smile at Gortex who immediately turned red. He took Asa’s luggage and piled it up on a trolley. She smiled at him again and again he turned red as melon meat...
They came outside where Asa stopped for a while and sniffed the air; “ah, so much better than London”. She said, “Let’s go! Where is your car sweet boy?” Gortex kept his red colour almost permanently now.
He stuttered: “It’s the beautiful one over there he said and pointed to his gray Skoda. “Ah! I know this car very well! I used to have one like it when I lived in my homeland; can I drive it?” This was something no one could ask of Gortex. He was turning into tomato red, then ruby red when he said:”I am sorry; I am the only one who knows how to drive this car. You see I have rebuilt the whole engine.” She looked at him: “really? Can I have a look?” Gortex was smiling widely again: “do you really mean it?!” “Yes”, she said, “absolutely!”
Jay hadn’t known Gortex that long, but he imagined that the grin that he had on his face now was the widest any Polish man had ever smiled! Jay was smiling too; he found this peculiar and charming. He watched them standing over the engine, with Gortex pointing and waving his arms. They were speaking German now. Jay knew it and could follow their conversation quite easily.
He hated to disrupt them, but they should really go now. He told them and they turned to him as if he was a headmaster or something like that.
“I am sorry”, he said, “but we just have to.”
Gortex and Asa looked at each other and smiled. “Maybe we can meet again before I leave?” Asa said. “Certainly! That’s a great idea!” Gortex said as he opened the back door for her. She looked at him and said: “I want to sit up front, if that’s ok with you?” “Sure!”
So the little lady climbed in and managed to pull all her garments inside, neatly arranged.
Gortex jumped in and Jay was happy in the back seat.
“Ready?” He looked at Asa. “Yes!” she said, “give it all you got, my friend!” Gortex looked at Jay and Jay said: “Go ahead you two!”
So, they blasted ahead. Gortex was given free hands and feet that wasn’t too often when he had passengers in his car!
This time they made it in 12 minutes to Jay’s house!
They were later that day going to bring her to the Hotel “Pedro” in the old town. A nice and expensive hotel in a quiet and picturesque area...
Gortex immediately volunteered to pick her up in his car.
She always stayed there when she was visiting.
Gortex left for the Cafeneion and kept her luggage in the car.
Jay and Asa went inside and he offered her something to drink. “What have you got, my friend”, Asa asked. “I have a chilled bottle of Champagne, if that’s all right with you?” “Oh yes, Champagne after this trip is absolutely a good choice”, Asa said and smiled at Jay.
So, he opened the bottle and poured the Champagne in two glasses. Jay lifted his glass and said:”cheers and welcome, Asa!” She smiled and raised her glass. They sat down by the kitchen table and had a chat about the last year, when Asa had held concerts all over the western world, “but I have taken it easy now, my friend”, she said, “I am not exactly getting younger and I have money enough to live a couple of more lives, you know.” “But you need to have something to do like all of us, or not?”
“Yes, something, but now more as a manager in my homeland, may be”, she said and laughed, “It’s a very small country as you know and not much to do there.”
She rose up and looked at Jay; “and you Jay, how are you doing?” “Ah, I am ok, but I’m getting tired of staying here; it’s been 4 years now and there’s not much happening. Only when the tourist season is on its peak there’s some fun around. In the winter time, we are all just vegetating...
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