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‘Itwasplanned,’ saidGabriel, his voice coming through the headphones, making the tiny hairs in her inner ear stand to attention.Sherealised that she was leaning her arms on his left leg so she could look down, and she quickly rightedherself, throwing him an apologetic smile.Hecontinued, ‘Bya man namedGeorges-EugèneHaussmann.’Sheenjoyed how he flipped fromAmericantoFrenchpronunciation so fluidly. ‘Heredesigned the city in the mid-nineteenth century.Toredown all the old medieval buildings and rebuiltPariswith long avenues that connected park to park.Heused cream stone for consistency.Thecity itself is a work of art.’
Shehad to agree.Parisseemed like a massive child’s logic puzzle, like the ones she used to do with pre-schoolers before her current job—where they had to take all the different-shaped pieces and fit them together to create a giant square.Eachshape in its place.
Raisingher eyes to the sky, her gaze fixed on one of the few clouds floating in the blue expanse.Itreminded her of a child’s drawing: with a flat bottom and fluffy rounded top, similar to the clouds onAndy’swallpaper inToyStory.
‘Theylook like cartoons!’Shehooted with delight.ShenoticedGabrielstudying her with a lift at the corner of his mouth. ‘What?’
‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘I’mjust glad you’re enjoying it.’
Ittook her a second to realise that he was right.Shewasenjoying it.Shehadn’t thought about her fear since she laid eyes on theEiffelTower.
Gabrieltapped her on the leg to get her attention. ‘Doyou want to touch a cloud?’ he asked.
‘Really?’Shesounded like her class when they found outSantawas coming to visit.Herkids would be so amazed when she told them this story.
Hesaid something inFrenchtoJacques.
Nextthing she knew, they were heading towards a small wispy cloud nearby, the only one for miles.Jacquesapproached with the fluffy white mass on the right of the helicopter, where she andGabrielsat.
‘Ready?’Gabrielasked.Hetook her hand and held it outside of the aircraft, her fingers nestled in his.Herskin blazed where they touched, in contrast to the cold, wet air as they plunged into the cloud.
Fora moment, moist greyness surrounded them on one side, but when she looked out the other door, she still saw blue skies.Theywere skimming the edge of the cloud.Shelaughed and turned her palm vertical, wanting to feel more; his hand moved with hers.Sailingthe air in sync.
Justlike that, the cloud disappeared, and they were in clear air again.Jesspulled her arm back in and exclaimed, ‘Thatwasamazing!’
‘It’sone of my favourite things about flying up here,’ he said, still facing the sky.
Thishad already been one of the most special experiences of her life.Shereached out and touched his leg.Heturned, and their eyes caught like a jagged fingernail on a thread of fabric. ‘Thankyou again.Iwill never forget this,’ she said.
Heheld her gaze for a moment, his brown eyes thoughtful, before he gave a curt nod and turned to look outside again.
Jesstook stock of herself.Sofar, this had been great, like nothing she’d done before.Therewas no problem with her stomach, and none of the nauseaGabrielhad warned her about.Everyvein in her body flowed with life.Uphere, she felt invincible.Shecouldn’t stop smiling.
‘Versailles.’Gabrielpointed ahead.
Inthe distance, she noted a change in the landscape.Beyonda long, stone building, expansive squares of greenery took over.Broccolitrees squashed together with celery trees.Manicuredgardens.Man-made water features.
Turningto her, he said, ‘Thingsare going to get a bit more…dynamic, shall we say.’
‘Dynamic?’Herhappy haze fizzled.Shedidn’t like the sound of this.Itstruck her as a euphemism fordangerous.
‘Justknow that it’s perfectly safe.That’swhy we’re both wearing 5-point harnesses.ButIneedJacquesto manoeuvre the helicopter soIcan shoot straight down at the ground or elseIwon’t be able to get the shot.’
‘Straightdown?’Herimagination caught up to his words. ‘Youmean…?’
‘He’llbe doing steep, banked circles over the spotIneed.ButlikeIsaid, we’ve done this many times before.Youneed to trust us, okay?’
Jessgulped and tried to recapture the brave part of herself, now slippery as an eel.She’dalready climbed on the rollercoaster and was sitting on the ride, listening to the click-click-click as the cab rose higher and higher towards a steep drop.Therewas no escape.Thiswas happening.
Panicarose, and her breathing sped up.Shemust remember to avoid all photographers in the future.Theywere all crazy in one way or another.
‘Hey, hey,’ saidGabriel, taking her trembling hand in his, forcing her to be still. ‘You’regoing to be fine.’
Heappeared so sincere, so utterly calm and composed beneath his head of hair blowing in the shifting wind.Sheallowed some of his serenity to seep into her.Shenodded. ‘I’mfine.Dowhat you have to do.’
Witha wink he turned away, a sudden look of joy and anticipation on his face.Heobviously loved this.Hepicked up his camera, ready to get his shot.Jesspressed herself back into her seat, her fingers weaving into her harness.Sheshut her eyes.Shesensed the helicopter climbing higher by a change in the direction of air and the increased downward forces on her body.
Gabriel’sdeep, relaxed voice rolled into her ears like he was lecturing a class on aerial photography. ‘Onthese trips,I’mlooking to get a mix of shots.Someare close up, more abstract pictures of shapes and patternsIsee on the ground.Theothers are oblique, three-quarter shots across the landscape.’
