Swimming to Antarctica_ Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer - Lynne Cox [99]
Mr. Terehkin jumped as if he had been struck by a lightning bolt. He drew in a deep breath, rocked back in his chair, and grinned like a Cheshire cat. He loved the idea; I could just tell. I was so scared he would say no, but I had to ask; that was why I was here, that was the whole point of going through all of this for so many years. So I asked, “Do you think your government will give me permission to make this swim?”
Slowly he sat up and leaned forward in his chair. He removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes, set his glasses on the desk, and let out a deep, long breath. “It’s a very complicated situation. Where you intend to land, it is a very sensitive area,” he said. But I could tell he was contemplating the idea.
“I know it is. But we can work with your government and we can find an area on Big Diomede that is less sensitive,” I said, trying to show that I was willing to work with him any way I could.
Mr. Terehkin nodded, but he was looking far away, into some open space.
I waited until I couldn’t hold back any longer, and then I nearly whispered, because I was afraid he might say no and I didn’t want to hear that. “Do you think it’s possible?”
He brought his eyes back and looked at me. A smile came to his lips, and he nodded slowly.
“Yes, yes, I do. It’s a very good idea. I will forward this information on to Moscow today,” he said emphatically.
We stood up to shake hands and I gave him a bear hug instead—I couldn’t help myself. “Thank you. Thank you!” I said.
He held on to me and we laughed together. He was grinning. The idea was growing on him. “This is a very good idea. I will call you as soon as I hear from Moscow. But if you don’t hear back from me this week, please call me. Here’s my card. And please call me Alexander.” He handed me his card with a big smile.
It was amazing. I felt like I was starting a friendship with a man from the Soviet Union. And I didn’t want to lose contact with him. He was really the only person who now believed in this. “Alexander, if I have difficulty reaching you, is there a second number I can call?”
“I’ve given you my direct line. You will have no problem,” he said. Then he opened the door, collected my passport and bag, and handed them to me. “It was a great pleasure meeting you. I will call you as soon as I hear anything. But don’t forget, you can call me too.”
We shook hands again. I was so excited, I don’t even remember how I got out of the consulate. All I heard was the door shutting behind me with a metallic thud. I stood on the street corner, a little dazed. And then I looked up and let the cold rain splatter on my hot face. I smiled; I loved rainstorms. So much happened during rainstorms. Pulling up my hood, zipping my rain jacket, I jogged down the stairs and opened the second gate. It clicked behind me.
I had no idea what to do next. There was no way I could get into a cab; I had too much energy. Instead, I decided to walk around; eventually I would find somewhere to have lunch. I walked up and down the hills, winding my way through the city, with no idea of where I was or where I was going, just wandering, feeling the wind gusting around me and the rain splattering across my face. It was so good. Somewhere near the Embarcadero, I spotted a large puddle. It was a little crazy, but I couldn’t help myself. No one was looking; I kicked off my shoes and danced in the puddle. How can you contain happiness like that?
With three hours to fill before my flight home, I decided to have lunch at a small family-owned café. I sat in a far corner so I could watch people coming and going and ordered quiche with some fruit. While I waited I went over the details of the conversation in my mind, making sure that I hadn’t misinterpreted anything. And I noticed a man sitting at the opposite corner of the room carrying a newspaper. He ordered coffee, and he glanced up at me a couple of times and smiled. He didn’t really seem to be reading the paper.
After lunch, I randomly toured the city, getting on and off city buses until I reached the Transamerican Pyramid