-4-
Bono was on a flight bound for Toronto. He would then fly over to Ottawa to meet the Prime Minister in the morning. He didn’t take too many private jets anymore. He’d do it with the band, but domestic was good enough just for him. As long as it was first class. He couldn’t get first class. That’s what you get for spur of the moment.
He only got executive club.
It was alright. It would do.
He could see, when he looked back, that the people behind the curtain were cramped and stuffy. It oddly amused him when the curtain was drawn while meals were being served. He knew that people wanted to know what he was eating. He put in the white ear buds of his special U2 Black and Red, Apple iPod. Etched on the silver backing was his signature, with Adam’s and Clayton’s and the Edge’s. It came equipped with the “complete U2”, which he listened too once or twice when he first got it. Sometimes he got sick of himself. Sometimes.
He pressed play and it went on random. He had already read his copy of William Butler Yeats A Vision. He loved Yeats.
He scribbled some notes for what he wanted to say to the Canadian Prime Minister in between the lyrics of a song he was developing.
Planes taxis / Concrete with grass
People sit / The tired and the young
A newborn baby cries / And cries
And cries
All through the day / The day and the night
The rain falls / And I
And I keep saying that I love you
The stewardess calls / The skies fall
And all I have to do / All I have to do is just sing
Just sing to you / And you
(Chorus)
Mr. PM / What are you gonna do?
Mr. PM / What are you gonna do?
About the guy / The guy that I live next to Mr. PM /
How much is that property there worth? Mr. PM? / Couldn’t you feed the women
The women and children / The women and children of the earth?
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Mr. PM?
Oooh oooh oooh
What are you gonna a do? (x2)
About the guy / The guy I have to live next to
Mr. PM / Ooooh oooh oooh / (x4)
Just what can you do? / About Africa (x2)
Some days the days / They get the better of you (x4)
AND I KEEP SAYING THAT I LOVE YOU
I love you (X2)
Bono had to use the washroom. He had been in the air since noon his time, flying from Dublin to Heathrow. He’d been on this plane for over five hours, and he had no idea what time it was.
He wasn’t wearing a watch.
He got up and headed toward the bathroom. There was a line so he turned around and looked down the aisle through the curtain.
Why not? He had to go. He walked through the curtain, and down the aisle. The flight wasn’t as packed as he’d thought it was. It was Tuesday. He strode down the aisle, trying not to feel too self-conscious. Every time someone looked up and recognized him, he felt he had to acknowledge them.
“Hello. Hi, hi, hello,” he smiled and nodded as he went down the aisle. It wasn’t that hard. Someone you’ve never seen before has known you for years, he thought. On his way back, he signed autographs.