Out of Time

I didn’t think he’d actually do it. I mean, jumping from a plane while recording himself recite pi out to the 100th decimal before pulling the parachute is just insane. I can’t believe he pulled it off! Well, at least we have the recording to prove that he made it. Just because the search crews haven’t found him yet doesn’t make the stunt any less amazing. That guy can do anything.

He lost a challenge once in the third grade, and afterwards made up for it in such a way that let us all know that he was destined for greatness. Joey Spitz challenged him to an air pistol duel behind the soccer field one Thursday afternoon. Joey had hidden the pistols behind the dumpster just a few feet away from the school building. At the dumpster he showed Mikey and the rest of us that both pistols were loaded. Along the walk to the field however, Joey emptied Mikey’g gun. After handing Mikey the empty pistol, the two stood back to back next to the field. We all watched and counted the fifteen paces they took. At the count of fifteen, they both spun around and fired rapidly. Joey just blasted away until Mikey finally ended the event by throwing his gun and running home.

Despite the fact that the loss was not due to any error on his part, Mikey became determined to prove himself to Joey and the rest of us. The following Thursday Mikey bet Joey that he could outlast him in a game of chicken against the 4:10 freight train that sped through town every day. At four oclock sharp, we all lined up along the track to watch the event. Joey and Mikey stood next to one another in the center of the track as the train, right on schedule barreled towards them. As the conductor laid on the whistle, you could see the fear begin to build in Joey’s eyes, but Mikey stood with a slight and almost creepy grin. Suddenly, Mikey began to sing the national anthem. He just started wailing. Joey yelled out, “you’re absolutely crazy!” then jumped off the track. Mikey, to our amazement, simply sat down, leaned back and spread himself flat between the rails. As the train whizzed past us, we heard the 2nd, the 3rd and finally the 4th verse of the national anthem being sung full throttle from under the train. He really had to be wailing for us to hear him over the clatter of that train. When the train had finally gone, Mikey stood up, took a bow and walked home. He became my hero that day.

Anyway, I’m sure the search crews will find him. They did find his voice recorder after all, so they can’t be too far from him. I just hope he shows up before Saturday, or his fiancé and her family will kill him. Her parents dropped a fortune on the wedding after they found out she was pregnant.