The Boy Who Could Fly Page #3

when you're sober.

-Are you going to call me?

-Yeah, l will.

Milly.

Can l see you, dear?

Okay. Just a second, Mrs. Sherman.

Not now, Eric.

l hear you've been helping Eric

in his gym class.

l just threw him the ball a couple of times.

-And you moved into the Patterson house.

-Yes.

-Have you met Eric's uncle?

-Yesterday.

Why don't you sit down, Milly?

Did he tell you that Eric could fly?

Yeah.

Then l guess you see

what kind of guardian he must be.

ln fact, if it hadn't been for my support...

the state institute

would have put Eric away long ago.

And that can't happen, Milly.

The state people mean well...

but Eric can't exist

in that kind of environment.

A while ago, his uncle went on a binge...

and they did put Eric away

for about a month.

He got sick...

very sick.

He was dying.

No one knew why, but l was convinced...

that he had just given up.

l promised them then

that l would watch over him.

But l can't be with him all the time.

Anyway...

l was hoping maybe you'd help.

l'll give you extra credits.

lt can be your science project.

l don't know anything

about those kind of kids.

You don't have to.

All you have to do is be yourself.

Besides, what l saw out there...

no doctor has ever been able

to do with him.

He was following you, mimicking you...

wanting to be like you.

Doctors haven't been able

to get a word out of him.

Maybe a friend could.

Mrs. Sherman said l should keep a journal.

So here it goes.

Day number one:

l sat in the back of the class with Eric

for about an hour today.

l figured that since he likes to copy me,

l could teach him stuff.

But, somehow, it's not that simple.

He really doesn't understand.

He doesn't see the words,

or even the book.

All he sees is me.

l have the same problem with him

in gym class.

He won't catch the ball or throw it.

He won't do anything on his own.

Milly.

Milly.

Say it.

Milly.

And, of course, he won't talk.

He won't smile, cry, or do anything,

unless he's mimicking me.

l have lunch with him every day.

Just him and me...

right there in the middle of the schoolyard.

l'm beginning to think

this is a big mistake.

lt's been two weeks since l started

with Eric and nothing's really changed.

Sure, he imitates everything l do,

but a parrot can do that.

l'm like one of his airplanes,

something to watch, to copy.

lt's not as if we really communicate.

lt's not as if l'm really a friend.

l'm about to give up.

Day 21. Something happened today.

He smiled.

He didn't smile because l smiled.

He smiled because he wanted to.

Today, l finally saw something

hiding behind those eyes.

Today l saw Eric.

Today we did things l thought he'd like.

lt's working.

''He told them all the sad things that

happened to Dumbo 'cause of his big ears.

''They flew down and offered to help.

''One of the crows took Timothy aside.

'''Flying's just like swimming,'

he whispered.

'''lt's just a matter of believing

that you can do it.'''

Day 33.

Just when everything was going well,

it got better.

Okay. Ready?

Here we go.

Tommy! lt's time to go home!

Sic them!

Sic them!

No, no.

Right there. Hold this above your head.

There you go.

Hold it up, and don't let go till l tell you.

-Sic them!

-All right, let go!

All right. Let him hit it.

Watch out!

Milly, heads up!

You did it. Eric, you did it!

Every day Eric opens up a little bit more.

Every day he tells me a new secret.

l don't know

if he's becoming more like me...

or l'm becoming more like him.

Somehow those differences

don't seem to matter.

Sometimes l feel like l'm....

Do it again.

All right, Eric.

You're on.

Don't be nervous. You can do this.

l know you can.

Right there.

You ready?

Catch it.

Now catch it.

Don't do this to me, Eric.

Put your hands up and catch it.

You can do it.

Catch it.

Okay. You ready?

Maybe you should try it again later.

No. He can do it.

Throw that as hard as you can at my face.

-Milly--

-No, don't worry about it. He'll catch it.

Maybe l should leave the country,

change my name, or something.

How could you do all this?

Now l'm in big trouble.

-What did you do?

-l signed Mom's name...

to all those notes from your teacher.

Now she's going to find out.

-You're right. You're in big trouble.

-Shut up.

Wonderful day, just wonderful.

Are you sure we have to give this to her?

That's probably her now.

Maybe she'll be in a good mood.

Eric, come on.

Hi, Mom.

-What's for dinner?

-Spaghetti.

Good.

That's only the fourth time this week.

What did you do to your eye?

-Somebody threw a ball at me.

-Who threw a ball at you?

Nobody, Mom. lt was an accident.

lt's a black eye. lt will go away.

Be more careful.

You do stupid things,

you're going to get yourself hurt.

How was work?

They made me

executive assistant to Mr. Brandt.

Executive assistant. All right!

What does that mean, Mom?

lt means l'm a glorified secretary.

lt means l got demoted.

lt means, l couldn't figure out

how to work the computer.

-What's that?

-What?

Give me.

-He's in trouble.

-For what?

Disobeying his teacher,

not doing homework...

and not participating in class.

Why is this the first time

l've heard about this?

l didn't want to bother you with it.

Go to your room.

-Mom, l was framed.

-Go to your room!

Yes, ma'am.

l thought you were

supposed to be helping me.

-l am helping you.

-You call this helping?

Yes, l call this helping.

l do everything for that little creep.

l walk him home.

l help him with his homework.

l cook, l clean up, l do the dishes.

What do you do?

l work.

Go to your room.

Honey, come on outside.

The hot dogs are almost ready.

Come on.

Louis, help your dad out.

Come on. l need some help.

-Hi!

-Hi.

Come on out.

Hello there, sports fans.

Hi. Welcome to the beautiful home

of Donald and Charlene Michaelson.

A typical family

doing the typical family things.

A family barbecue,

our tradition since 1846.

Hi. l'm Donald Michaelson.

And l used to be like this.

Oh, l am going to....

-My knee's hurt!

-Oh my God, l'll help you.

lt's a miracle! He's alive!

Let's go. The class is all ahead of us.

Move it. Left, right, left, right. Walk.

...indigenous to the rainforest.

Okay, is that everybody?

We'll just hold it here for a second.

Here we have reached

a more temperate climate zone.

l don't know if you know what that means.

A temperate zone is one

where you have warm winters....

Sorry, cool winters and warm summers.

So the vegetation here is the vegetation

that flourishes under those conditions.

We've got lantana and fuchsia.

All plants that do well

in a temperate zone.

From this angle, too,

you can see how high up the dome goes.

lts height is 70 feet in the center

at the highest point.

The actual area that it covers...

is 15,386 square feet.

The diameter is 140 feet across....

Mona, you're not going to go up there.

You're going to fall, Mona.

You've got to get back.

Don't go up. Mona!

Oh, God, you freaked me out!

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