Chapter 6
"December 21, 1988: Evening"
As soon as Daphne had cleared security and passport control, she made her way over to Pan Am's clipper lounge where she was now going to have to wait for her feeder flight to London to start boarding. It was an inconvenience for her to have her plans interrupted, but it was just what it was. The one thing that both of us always remembered was that in the aviation industry, always expect bumps in the road.
While it was unfortunate that her plans were interrupted, Daphne always enjoyed the service of the Pan Am clipper lounge, giving the fact that we had been in there several times on several trips with just the two of us or with Shaggy and Velma. It was at the moment of her arrival, did she decide to call me of her travel plans, little realizing that it would be the very last time I would ever talk to her.
"Hey, Freddie," she said, calling me over a payphone. "I hope you are getting ready for my coming home tonight."
"I can't wait to see you, Daphne," I replied, feeling the diamond engagement ring in my coat pocket. "I have a small surprise for you when you land."
"Oh, really?" exclaimed Daphne, giggling slightly. "What is it?"
"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise then, now, wouldn't it?" I chuckled, trying to play around with Daphne a little bit.
However, Daphne knew that she had to tell me my plans in regards to her flight changes, which I didn't really mind, but this was something completely different.
"Actually, Freddie," said Daphne, sliding off her suit jacket, revealing the green tank top she was wearing underneath. "The reason I am calling you is because my original flight to New York was cancelled and I am going to miss my original flight to Syracuse."
"What does that mean, Daph?" I asked worriedly. "Are you going to be able to come home tonight?"
"I am, Fred," she replied. "But, Pan Am has rescheduled me to fly to London and then transfer to a larger plane to take me to New York and then I will get into Syracuse tonight, although it is going to be late."
I knew that it really didn't matter to me as long as Daphne would be able to come home and spend Christmas with those she loved.
"What time are you getting in, tonight?" I asked, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen to write down the information. "Just so I know that I don't miss you."
After a moment, I heard the rustling of paper on the other line and after a moment, I heard Daphne stop rustling and that meant that she was now going to give me her updated information.
"Okay, Freddie," she began, as I wrote down whatever flight information was given to me. "I am now going to be on Pan Am Flight 103A leaving Frankfurt at 4:50pm and arriving at London/Heathrow at 5:40pm. Next, I will be on Pan Am Flight 103 leaving London/Heathrow at 6:00pm and arriving at New York/JFK at 9:19pm. Finally, I will be on Pan Am Express Flight 4919 leaving New York/JFK at 10:30pm and arriving in Syracuse at 11:45pm. Did you get all of that?"
"Got it, Daphne," I replied, putting the pen down on the table. "I can't wait to see you, tonight. Love you."
"I love you, too, Freddie," she replied and we hung up on each other, not knowing at that time that it would be the last time.
Meanwhile, it was almost 4:00pm and the announcement had been made that Pan Am Flight 103A to London/Heathrow was now boarding. Daphne soon joined the small crowd of passengers who now boarded the Boeing 727 for the short flight to London. Many of the passengers were of course, military personnel returning home for the holidays. Daphne was seated in first class in the second row, with an army colonel and an admiral from the US Navy. I always knew that Daphne loved men in uniform as we once went out as the couple who kissed each other at the end of World War II.
"Goodbye, Germany, hello home," thought Daphne as the Boeing 727 lifted off from Frankfurt Airport at 4:50pm into the cloudy night sky. At the same time as the flight had taken off, the Samsonite suitcase that was containing the bomb that would kill Daphne was still ticking away like the shroud of a phantom.
At 5:40pm, Pan Am Flight 103A touched down at London/Heathrow and then the Boeing 727 taxied over to Heathrow's Terminal 3 where a Boeing 747 was parked at stand K16. After a few minutes, the passengers from the feeder flight deplaned and while those with London as a final destination made their way to immigration and customs, Daphne and 48 others made their way through the gate and made their way up to the Boeing 747, the cold London winds blowing at them.
"I knew that I should have worn pantyhose," thought Daphne as her bare legs felt cold because of the purple and green skirt suit she was wearing. "God, it's cold."
But, Daphne's thought about the cold quickly vanished when she boarded the Boeing 747 named Clipper Maid of the Seas for the nine hour flight back to New York/JFK. As she walked towards her seat, Daphne looked back to coach and she recognized several of our friends from Syracuse University, who then waved out to her and Daphne smiled and waved back to them.
"Guess this flight change was not so bad after all," she said to herself as she walked towards her first class seat towards the front of the plane. At 6:25pm, 25 minutes behind schedule due to air traffic control, Pan Am Flight 103 took off from London/Heathrow bound for New York/JFK with 243 passengers and 16 crew members on board. Shortly after takeoff, the flight's captain, James McQuarrie, came on the PA system to speak to the passengers.
"On behalf of myself, Captain Jim McQuarrie and all of the cabin staff," he said over the PA system. "We'd like to welcome you aboard on Pan Am clipper flight to New York and to apologize for the slight delay in departure. Our flight plan this evening will take us north over the Scottish boarder where we will be requesting clearance to make our turn across the Atlantic. On behalf of all of us, we'd like to thank you for flying Pan Am and we'd wish a pleasant flight and a happy holiday."
Just 38 minutes after takeoff however, the suitcase containing the bomb detonated in the cargo hold and before Daphne and everyone else on board could react to the loud boom, a huge fireball came through the cabin and broke the nose of the plane off sending it down to the earth below. Daphne was then blown off the plane along with several of the other passengers and crew, still strapped in her seat as she quickly lost consciousness while being succumbed to the trauma of the tornado force winds as she fell from 31,000 feet.
It was 7:05pm, and the tiny town of Lockerbie, Scotland was engulfed in flames…