𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 ❦ (𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐝)

Chapter 5

"Thank you for waiting, mister journalist," I hear a feminine voice echo in the very wide room. A woman about my age steps down the central stairs.

She is wearing an aviator jacket and boots the same color, an elegant little scarf, and under that a white shirt. Her short, strawberry blonde hair is styled with soft curls. What strikes me the most is that she is wearing pants, striped pants. A woman wearing pants is not something you see often, to say the least.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Gerard Way, for the Gotham News." We shake hands.

I got a glimpse of her from a far a couple of times, back in college. She is as merry and confident as she used to, it seems. But she looks so much more mature, now. My thought start wandering in my memories of my years in university.

Hayley Williams studied mechanic engineering at Harvard. She was a brilliant and popular student on campus. She dropped after her first year to learn how to fly. I remember thinking at the time that only a true flight-lover would have the courage to do that. I admire her, she followed her dreams. I didn't think of her after she left, until she flew across the Gulf of Mexico all at once.

"Here I am, Mr. Way. We can begin the interview."

"A-alright, Ms. Williams. Let's- let us begin. Let's go," I stammer against my will. Ms. Williams smiles at me gently.

"No need to be nervous, Mr. Way. I don't bite." She chuckles. She is so poised, and I'm so... I must act just like a journalist. Deep breaths.

"Ms. Williams, I am sure that you were asked this before, but can you tell us again what made you want to become a pilot?" I ask.

"I've always been passionate about flying, but the turning point, I think, was when I heard about Calbraith Rodgers' transcontinental flight, in 1911. He inspired me for learning how to fly. But, as you know, girls are not really encouraged to become pilots. I had to face multiple obstacles. It gave me the strength to face adversity. I dropped out and trained for two years. You know the rest," Ms. Williams told.

I hum and scratch the paper with my pencil. "Have you heard of Mr. Lindbergh's plans of flying across the Atlantic?"

Ms. Williams nods. "Of course! That would be impressive if he managed to do that. I wish to accomplish such an exploit as well, at least as the first woman in the world. I am well-aware of the path I am opening. I consider it my responsibility."

"You flew for nearly 15 hours, from Miami to Mexico. The training must have been hard," I react. "Did you ever think about giving up? Did you ever want to?"

"I believe the challenge was how physical flying is, today still. It requires quite some strength to control the engine, it shakes a lot. I had to work out every day and go through a formation to learn how to resist the pressure. I was vomiting from that exercise, especially at the beginning. It was all very tedious and when I was vomiting, I thought to myself : 'why are you doing this to yourself? Just stop, no one is making you'. But all of that was worth it, and I realized that the second I got on a plane that flew up in the sky."

"I see." I write down every word. It's truly fascinating. "But pure passion isn't the only factor that contributed to your success, is it?"

Ms. Williams shook her head. "I couldn't have gotten as far without my family's support."

I hum. "But flying is mostly a... man's thing. Did your family support you from the start anyway?"

A bright smile appears on her face. "Absolutely. I was introduced to my first flight instructor by no other than my father. I was determined to achieve my dreams, my father understood it, and he even encouraged me to not let myself be limited by my gender, ever."