While still a young man, I led a small group of teenagers on a church youth group mission trip. Three teenage girls, one teen boy and myself stayed in an apartment with a girls wing and boys wing. The dorms contained rows of hand-built bunk
beds with thin mattresses and poor lighting. We shared a kitchen and living room. We had a great time!
At some point, an inspired resident of the men's dorm managed to rescue a battered light of a grocery store checkout lane from a dumpster. The ancient red and white lamp was lovingly brought back to life with all the craftsmanship a young Dr. Frankenstein could muster. Our intrepid inventor attached the light to the end of one of the bunkbeds where it bathed the dorm in its ruby glow.
One late-night during the week, the teenaged boy who shared the men's dorm with me slept soundly and peacefully in his bunk. Gripped by an undeniable urge at two o'clock in the morning, I was forced to flip on the light with the giant number four on it. As the red Aisle 4 sign burst to life I screamed, "NO WAITING ON AISLE FOUR!"
My young charge lurched upright in his lower bunk, narrowly avoided braining himself on the bottom of the bed above and collapsed to the floor in apoplectic shock. I turned the light off and drifted back into peaceful slumber, content in my role as an authority figure and spiritual leader.
Thus was born the legend of AISLE 4.
Aisle 4 is now the imprint under which I am publishing my first novel, and I hope to create many more memories, stories and joys that bear its honorable mark!
Commentaires