Unkind prevailing winds whirled Wish through a violent tornado before landing with a thud in the summer of 2024, the hottest on record. Though time travel lasted only a nanosecond, the aftermath left us dizzy, nauseated, and deeply unsettled. Some passengers held their heads; others clutched their stomachs. A few had been tossed against the gondola’s sides, resulting in cuts and bruises. And Wish wasn’t unscathed; her silk fabric was torn, and the wicker slats of her gondola were cracked and bent.

Fortunately, I came prepared with my trusty travel kits – sewing and first aid, water thermoses, various sandwiches, and my to-die-for chocolate fudge brownies. All were still intact, safely stashed in a large, heavy container at the bottom of Wish’s gondola. After a hushed half hour, I stood up slowly and assessed the damage to Wish and checked the status of my passengers, all of whom were beginning to move about as they recovered from the jarring journey.

While the passengers looked around and talked to one another about their after the excursion experience, my attention was drawn to Quinn, who was huddled under one of the seats within the gondola. I was astounded to see her, quill in paw, writing away on a fresh sheet of parchment. Relief washed over me seeing Quinn so focused, a comforting constant amidst the chaos.

ME: “Quinn, there you are. You must be OK since you’re already very busy writing away. I was worried when I didn’t see you beside me after that horrendous landing. How long have you been there?”

QUINN: “Been here for a bit, but fine now that I found my hat—it had blown off. Spotted it under one of the gondola seats, right next to a large metal container. Can’t think without my hat. So, with hat on my head, I grabbed one of my quills, found the blueberry ink and parchment paper, and then got to work. How bout you, my new travel buddy?”

ME: “I’m OK, but several passengers require band-aides, and Wish has a few tears in the silk of her balloon. And I fear different kinds of tears because of it. Notably, Wish is rather vain.”

QUINN: “Ah, a bit of wordplay, if I might … you mean wishes are rather vain.”

ME: “Exactly! Some wishes are in vain, only to be realized in one’s imagination – just like the adventure you and I are about to embark upon.”

Quinn pushed while I pulled the large container from under one of the gondola’s seats. Once opened, I immediately retrieved the first aid kit, after which Quinn assisted me in washing and dressing the open wounds of several passengers and dabbing alcohol on those who had scratches. Next, Quinn helped distribute the sandwiches and drinking water. All of a sudden, I heard a sad lament …

WISH: “What about me? Don’t I count? You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my maneuvering us in and out of that miserable storm! My beautiful silk is torn, two of my gondola wicker slats are cracked, and another is bent. I may never be able to fly again.”

ME: “Oh my dear Wish, I commiserate with your situation. You’ve been through the wringer. Like me, you are getting older. My joints ache, and I’ve had some balance problems ever since my hip replacements umpteen years ago. Look, I can repair your torn silk, though replacing the wicker slats will be more challenging.”

WISH: “But, if you sew up my silk, it’ll make a seam. It’ll be like a scar. I won’t be beautiful anymore, and what about the broken slats? If you can’t fix them, then what? How will I ever be normal again?”

ME: “I will stay with you and arrange a rattan re-weaver to craft you a new gondola. It will take some time, but we’ll get through this together.”

WISH: “But how much time? Aren’t you anxious to get up and go, so to speak?”

ME: “You are correct about wanting to time travel once again; however, we are already where we need to be—in the present. Although we can still visit the past, we can’t time travel to the future, at least not in this story!”

WISH: “But if you stay with me, you won’t be able to accompany Quinn. How will Quinn navigate without your guidance? And what will you do? More importantly, what will our passengers do?”

ME: “Wish, you would ask such profound questions. Here’s the deal. I’m too old to accompany Quinn, who, despite already knowing the purpose for being here, has much with which to contend. I’ll give Quinn a map and an address to set the way. But, who knows how long it will be before you are repaired. The two of us must sit pretty, for we still are despite our scars and age. As for our passengers, they each have homes and lives to which they must return.”

After quenching their thirst and satiating their appetites with sandwiches, it was time for brownies and a briefing. I gathered the passengers, including Quinn, together, served the brownies, and, once they were chewing and munching the chocolate sweetness, I delivered a sobering truth…

ME: “First, I want to thank you all for traveling with me, both through thirty-one excursions on my twin engine red plane, Electra, and then up to eleven excursions on my extraordinary hot air balloon, Wish. But all good things come to an end. I have patched you up, and you seem to be in good shape and in good spirits. So, it’s time to go home.”

The passengers glanced from one to another, followed by a buzz of questions mumbling. Some called out …

PASSENGERS: “How are we supposed to get home?” “Yeah, we don’t even know where we are.” “As I look around, I see an enormous expanse of factories.” “Hey people, this is more than factories, it’s a frigging industrial complex.” “Yes, and it seems to go on forever, on either side of a muddy river.” “Yup, and did you notice the train cars and tracks below on one side of the river?” “And how about the largest smoke stack I’ve ever seen on the other side?” “What about that four-lane bridge spanning the river, packed with cars bumper to bumper?” “And, that hideous acrid smell in the air? It must be coming from the smoke I see belching out of one of the many stacks!”

ME: “All excellent observations. Obviously, you won’t be leaving by train, car, boat, plane, or balloon, and each of you lives too far away to walk — so just click your heels and say, “There’s no place like home,” and you will be on your way.”

The passengers said their goodbyes, clicked their heels, and were instantly gone. Only Wish, me and Quinn were left on the river bank overlooking the monstrosity which will remain, at least for the next twenty-five years, unless …

ME: “Quinn, are you ready? You already know your purpose and can navigate any landscape. Here is a map and an address to get you started. You understand why I cannot accompany you, but I’m confident you no longer need my assistance. Don’t forget to write and keep us all up to date with your progress.”

QUINN: “Not to worry, my quill will keep me very busy as I follow this map to the home of Abigail Newton, who now lives in…

Stay tuned to learn more …