Golden Wings
by
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Spring, 1936
On her tenth birthday Ilse Vanderhoff wrote this in her diary.
“Little girls are sugar and spice and everything nice. They are warm, sensitive, cuddly, and absolutely loveable. They taste the sweetness of honey, smell the fragrance of flowers and feel the warmth of sunshine. They grow up ever so slowly and transform into ladies with frills and skills, educations and imaginations, hopes and dreams. They build their home, nestle in their husband’s arms and revel in their children’s laughter. They know leaving is risky but some do anyway. They forget that if they go too far and stay away too long they turn into angels. And angels can’t come home!”
_______________
At age fourteen, Ilse and her father set sail from Oslo, Norway, to the U. S. on the same ship as John F. Kennedy. While at the table with a fork in one hand and knife in the other she saw him smiling at her from across the dining room. Grinning ladies with fancy hairdos and colorful evening gowns clamored around him. He was so handsome. She was glad to be sitting where her pregnancy wasn’t visible. She scooted closer to the table.
Her father smiled at her. “I overheard a woman telling another woman he’s an American and his name is John Kennedy,” he said.
Ilse pulled her long blonde hair over her shoulder softly twisting it to lay on her breast. “Are all Americans suave and debonair?” she asked.
“No, he is rich. He visits Europe’s finest families whenever he wants to and stays as long as he wants to.”
She stared at her father wondering how he knew.
“The woman said that too,” he said, smiling.
Ilse started watching Kennedy and following him around the ship each day growing bolder. She loved his laughter and wanted to meet him.
But halfway across the Atlantic Ocean her father said, “You got pregnant in Siberia so we could escape. I accepted that. But you are attracting attention. That could get us shot!” He glanced around as he guided her inside. “Stay out of sight,” he growled. “Maybe we can have our meals brought to our cabin.”
Then he dialed the service number. “My daughter is in her third trimester of pregnancy. I don’t want to leave her alone. Could you bring our meals to the cabin for the remainder of the voyage?”
“Our staff is booked until nine this evening, sir. We would be happy to bring your meals then if it isn’t too late. Or you could escort your daughter to the dining room one more time. It’s up to you.”
“We’ll eat in the dining room.”
“Good. We will deliver your meals starting tomorrow morning, sir.”
When she and her father stepped out of their cabin, Ilse saw Kennedy standing near the railing. This time she didn’t shy away from him. Kennedy was telling a redhead about his escapades in Ireland. She wore a wedding ring. He didn’t. The redhead kissed Kennedy. He wrapped his arms around her and they closed their eyes, kissing. A man snuck up behind Kennedy with knife raised. Ilse grabbed a shuffleboard cue with both hands and slammed it down on the man’s head, flattening him. Her father ducked back inside. She dropped the cue. Kennedy faced Ilse startled by the noise. The assailant and his knife lay on the deck. The assailant stirred. The redhead grabbed the knife and tossed it overboard. And then she helped him get away.
“You saved my life,” Kennedy said. “I don’t know how but some day I’ll repay you. What’s your name?”
“Ilse Vanderhoff, but please Mr. Kennedy, don’t tell anyone,” she said.
“Why?”
“My father and I escaped from Siberia. Colonel Irena Pottski and her men followed us. They want to kill us!”
_______________
Ilse had just turned fifteen. She stood on the sidewalk in front of a drugstore reading the Buffalo Gazette. She sobbed. The man in the photo was her father and he was lying in a pool of blood. As she read a lump lodged in her throat and fear gripped her heart. Pottski had murdered her father. She would kill her too!
Two men and a woman shoved her into a Cadillac slamming the doors. “Your life’s in danger. I’m here to help,” the driver said as he sped away from the curb leaving the others behind.
“Who are you?”
“Sparrow.”
“Where are you taking me, Sparrow?” Ilse asked.
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About the Book
Golden Wings, by Frank Kerns, is a novel of a family living amidst small town treachery set during the national scandal of the JFK assassination. The novel ties up a lot of loose ends into one coherent explanation. It’s an intriguing premise with a wide and interesting cast of Southern characters. John DeSimone - Author/Editor
About the Author
Frank Kerns lives in Kentucky. As the Williamstown Kiwanis PR person and a Christian he serves hot meals for the elderly and less fortunate, and is an academic coach for elementary school students. He enlisted in the Navy and served his country while the world trembled on the brink of nuclear war. He has traveled from the caribou, elk, and ice fields of Canada to the lions, pink flamingos, and diamond mines of Africa.