Human Interest

Jill was nearly asleep when she heard the familiar sound of the plane getting closer. She wondered where it was going this time. It was a comforting sound, those engines droning on for it seemed like an eternity as the DC-3 hauled freight from Knoxville across the mountains toward Virginia. At ten years of age, Jill was used to the sounds that she heard at night, the crickets, whipporwills, owls and raccoons. Her life was fairly routine for a girl growing up in the tiny settlement not far from the Kentucky line. She attended the small school where she sat in the front row of seats in order to see the board. The other students knew she couldn't see very far, but no one ever teased her. They all had their own tough times to go through and were raised to respect others. No one else at her school wore glasses. Jill's mother and father told her that glasses would help her see, but they were 35 miles from Middlesboro and with the condition of the roads and their old Dodge pickup, it would be impossible to go to Middlesboro to the optometrist. One day, Jill's father learned that the University often flew a team of medical doctors into remote areas of the mountains to help people who were isolated with their medical needs. They came from Knoxville and used the venerable DC-3, as it could land on rough airstrips and was well suited to their needs. Unknown to Jill, her father had written a letter to the University about Jill's sight and how it was impossible for them to get to the city. It took awhile but the day came when Jill's father got a letter back stating that the medical team would be coming. The airstrip near Sneedville was to be used. Her parents decided not to tell Jill but kept it a surprise. That night, as Jill lay there listening to the night sounds the familiar hum of the old airplane engines began to fill her ears. For some reason they were much louder than usual. She had no idea that this particular airplane had served in Britain and again at Normandy during the war and was continuing to serve humanity. The family began preparing to make the trip to the airstrip, being careful not to tell Jill about the surprise. It was shortly after 8:00 A.M. when they rounded the curve and Jill saw the fuzzy white bird with a canopy set up nearby. Glasses! Really! she shouted. Soon she was examined and shortly thereafter a doctor was ready with her new glasses. For the very first time, her world was in focus and a little girl's greatest dream was realized. 

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