Like a modern Twilight Zone episode, a curly-haired guy in a houndstooth check mac, knapsack and red sneakers kept appearing again and again in the airport, shouting into a mobile phone about acquiring the WORLDWIDE RIGHTS to some book, and how they were FLYING 40 JOURNALISTS IN SO BOWIE COULD WALK THEM THROUGH THE EXHIBITION, and they've got MARKETING STRATEGY and FILM RIGHTS. We were sure he was either a cyborg, some kind of performance artist or the modern day equivalent of a man talking to himself on the street - only in this case he'd lost his book publishing job two years ago and now roams the airports and public transit systems of the grand cities of the world, talking to no one about what might have been.
He'd mentioned New York in one of his expository monologues, so we were betting, hoping even, that he'd be on our flight.
I saw him approach our gate, still talking at top volume, but then he looped around and headed away to another part of the terminal.
"But they're calling Final Boarding!" I cried. "What will we do for seven hours if he's not on the plane, giving us something to speculate about?"
"He must be scheduled to do his act in a different part of the airport," Eric said.
We were devastated.
Then I saw him coming back, still talking on his "phone", with an armload of newspapers. Have to keep current, if you're someone in such an important position (wink wink).
"Watch him be in coach," Eric said.
Sure enough, at the last possible minute he squeezed into one of the economy seats just a few rows in front of us. We high-fived.
Later I saw one of the flight attendants trying to explain to him how to fill out the customs form. It was a highlight of the trip.
In honor of our deluded fellow traveler (or fellow deluded traveler), here's the SURE TO BE SOLD OUT SHOWS we have coming up in the next few weeks. Glassy-eyed enthusiasm is the way forward!
Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby USA
Tues Nov 9 Valentine's Albany, NY
Thu Nov 11 Asbury Lanes Asbury Park, NJ
Fri Nov 12 Bowery Electric New York, NY
Sun Nov 14 Moose Exchange Bloomsburg, PA
Fri Nov 19 400 Bar Minneapolis, MN
Tues Nov 30 Motorco, Durham NC
Wed Dec 1 Black Cat, Washington DC
