Iris
In Houston, at a house near NASA headquarters.
There’s a knock on the door.
‘Come in,’ I yell. Then I turn back to the TV. The White Sox are down 3-4 in the 7th inning.
A man around the age of twenty walks in. He’s wearing an army uniform.
‘Sir, I have some important information for you.’ His voice is still young.
I mute the game.
‘It’s about a Mr. Michael Collins. That’s all I know. But I was told to give you this.’
The Astros score another run. 3-5 for them.
The soldier hands me an envelope.
‘He died over half a year ago. I know.’
‘This is not about his death. An officer found this in his attic.’
I open it carefully.
Two runs for the White Sox. 5-5
I start reading.
Dear NASA,
I am near death now, but I may as well put this on paper. Not that I would ever send this in the first place.
I don’t want to sound like I don’t understand how lucky I am to get this opportunity. I do. But trust me on this. Being so close to the moon without touching it for TWENTY FOUR HOURS sucks. Then having to fly back on the same plane as two people who got to be the first people on the moon, that is just worse. For the entire flight back, I had to listen to Neil and Buzz go on and on about how the moon is so awesome, and how they got moon rocks and it’s like being on a huge trampoline when you’re on the moon.
Still 5-5 after the 8th inning
Meanwhile, I was stuck in the same spaceship I had been in for the last FOUR DAYS, and I would be in for THE NEXT WEEK. And then, when I got back home, I had to be all ‘good job!’ Or ‘I totally don’t care!’ Without actually saying that those two drove me crazy. Did they ask me if I could stand those two? Well, I’ll say it now, ABSOLUTELY NOT! They are probably the two least modest people I know! Whoever decided on making THEM the first two people on the moon was a good idea should seriously have a sanity check. And did anyone ask how it was to orbit the moon, what the other side of it looks like or anything? No. They just asked those two immature, cocky, arrogant ----------- (A sensory black line is drawn over the word) felt. They gave them praise for barely doing anything, praise that just boosted their already overflowing ‘arrogance buckets.’ Meanwhile, I was controlling an entire SPACESHIP, but no thank yous for me!
Sincerely,
Michael Collins, Pilot, NASA.
‘Well,’ I say, ‘Turns out Dad had a whole lot of emotions ready to let loose.’
The White Sox win 6-5.
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