As children
grow older they don’t want to vacation with their parents. That was our
situation in April, 1986. Our oldest son was 18 and he didn’t think it cool to
be with his parents no matter where we went. Our youngest son was 14 and too
young to leave home, so we dragged him along against his will. We travelled to
Manhatten to take in the sights.
We did all
the things tourists do in the Big Apple including taking in a musical “42nd
Street.” My son couldn’t believe we made him sit through it. Although we had been
to the observation deck on the 86th floor before , no trip would be
complete if we didn’t visit the Empire State Building. As we climbed upward in
the elevator my wife and I noticed two men in long raincoats next to us. Since
it hadn’t rained they looked out of place.
While on the
observation deck we heard someone on the speakers yell “get off the fence, get
off the fence” I looked toward the commotion and saw two men on the parapets
outside of the steel curved fence meant to prevent anyone from climbing over
them. They were the two men who had come up the elevator with us.
What was
their intention? My first thought was that they had made a suicide pact and
were about to jump together to their deaths. Sure enough they jumped head first
off the building. My heart stopped for a second and I was reluctant to look
over to see their descent. However two large “phrummps” made me look. Two
parachutes on opening caused the noise. Two daredevils were now floating toward
Fifth Ave.
We learned
later one was arrested and the other grabbed a cab and got away. We have been
to New York City many times before and after but that was our most memorable
trip.
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