“Me,” Mattie said.
“What?” Luke stood and walked into the kitchen. “What about the baby?”
“It's not due for another three weeks.”
“And what if something goes wrong?” He shook his head. “I don't like this.”
“Nothing will go wrong, and I want to go. I've never been there,” Mattie said, realizing she really did want to see the place where her grandmother was born. “Please, Luke.”
He blew out a long breath. “All right, but I'm going with you.”
The next morning Mattie, her grandmother, and Luke arrived at the airfield. They were early. The sun hadn't yet touched the top of the mountains. Craig Wilson was inspecting his plane. Mattie walked up to him. “Good morning. We're ready.”
He looked at the cluster of people. “I don't remember your saying there was going to be a crowd,” he quipped.
“Is it too many?” Mattie asked, looking at the small plane.
“No. This is a four-seater. She'll do fine. I was just teasing.” He winked, then opened the door of the plane. “Climb on in.”
It took a little effort for Atuska to clamber in, but Luke and Craig helped, and finally the old woman was settled in a tiny seat. “It's very crowded in here.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “How wonderful. I'm going to take my first plane trip.”
Mattie sat beside her and took her hand. “I'm nervous. Are you?”
“Oh, no. Just happy.” She smiled broadly.
Luke sat in the seat beside Craig, then glanced at the passengers in the back. “When I was on the base, I went up a couple of times. You'll love it.”
The engine started, and the craft vibrated. Mattie kept a hold of her grandmother's hand as they taxied out to the grass strip called a runway. Bouncing, the plane moved into position. They headed down the runway, quickly picking up speed. The plane lifted, and Mattie felt a sudden sensation of lightness. They climbed smoothly, and the airport fell away below them. Mattie's stomach remained on the ground, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Her grandmother let out a small, “Oh.”
The mountains looked tall and broad. Mattie was suddenly afraid they might fly right into them. “What about the mountains? They look awfully tall.”
“Don't worry. We're not flying over them.” He banked the plane. “We'll go south and travel out over Cook Inlet.”
Mattie stared at the ground. Everything looked very different from the sky. The fields and forests reminded her of a patchwork quilt made of greens and golds, and the Matanuska River looked like a broad silver ribbon, its broken channels like tattered strips of trim. The valley seemed small and crowded between mountains.
Craig headed the plane southwest toward the inlet and the long arm of islands that reached into the Pacific. Occasionally he pointed out sites, seeming to enjoy the trip as much as his passengers.
Atuska was quiet, but her eyes were alight with wonder as she took in the world below.
“Your granddaughter tells me you're from the Aleutians,” Craig said to her.
“Yes. I grew up in a small village near Unalaska. It was a good place with good people.” She smiled, continuing to keep her eyes on the sites.
“Grandma, if you loved it so much, why did you leave?”
“I had to. Your grandfather had to go...to find work. I thought we would go back though.”
“If you had known, would you still have left?”
She answered immediately. “Yes. There was no other way.” Her eyes turned soft. “And we were happy. The valley is a good place.”
Emerald green islands passed below them. Craig dropped to a lower elevation so the travelers could see more clearly. Cliffs hedged in an island, cutting sharply into velvet green fields. The island looked as if it were floating in a blue sea.
A soft smile had settled on Atuska's lips. Mattie knew it had been right to come. Any amount of money was worth it.
They had to make two stops to refuel, but each only added to the adventure. Mattie liked takeoffs the most. It was an exhilarating sensation to move so quickly over the ground and then lift into the air.
“That's Unalaska down there,” Craig said. “We'll have to stop to refuel, then head home.”
“We're landing in Unalaska?” Atuska asked.
“Yes.”
“How wonderful. When I was a child, we used to travel there by boat. My father would always buy us a peppermint stick. Oh, how wonderful that tasted. And once he traded furs for a music box for my mother. It was beautiful.”
The engine of the plane cut out and sputtered. Mattie's stomach dropped. “Is something wrong?”
Craig didn't answer. He was working with the controls. More sputtering.
“What's wrong?” Luke asked.
“Don't know for sure. Probably nothing too serious. I'll just set it down and take a look.” Craig grinned. “Don't worry. Something always needs attention in these old crates. We'll be fine. Either way, I'll fix whatever's wrong, and we'll be on our way.”
