"Taking Flight" by Akira Odani (reprise)

 – like a soaring hawk

His invitation was unexpected. I danced within.

Akira Odani lives in the ancient city of St. Augustine, Florida. He is a member of the Taste Life Twice Writers’ group and the Florida Writers Association. Born in Tokyo, he wrote extensively in the past for the Japanese media. Still, more recently, his interest has turned to writing in English and on subjects related to his memories of interacting with the two cultures. Some of his work has appeared in the pages of FWA anthologies and PSPP’s fall 2022 collection. He stays active, meditating, swimming, and playing pickleball.

Author’s Talk

Akira Odani

I ended up wrecking my family for various reasons. First, my wife and I married young without knowing each other well. Our marriage stood on shaky grounds from the start. In addition, my job as a conference interpreter required prolonged absences from home. The frequent physical distance didn’t help solidify the family bond.  

As my marriage of sixteen years deteriorated, I harbored an illusion that once I separated from my wife, I could become a better father to my two young sons. On the contrary, my divorce rubbed salt into the wound of an already precarious relationship with my children. I fell into an abysmal depression, battling guilt, remorse, and anger.  

“Taking Flight” is an episode about the brighter side of the father-son relationship during my family's reconstruction period. At one point, I despaired. I had lost my older son entirely when he disappeared from his college dormitory. Even though I soon recovered Minoru into our family quarter, he departed again as he joined the U.S. Navy without warning or consultation.  

I disliked anything related to war and the military since my elders, a generation ago in Japan, participated in the horrific conflicts in Asia. The U.S. Navy would have been the last career path for my son. However, I needed to learn to let go and respect his decisions, allowing him to be who he wanted to become.  

Also, I failed to realize how strongly Minoru had felt about his dream of flying an aircraft. He did not phone or write for months, then suddenly called and asked for my presence at his graduation from a flying school. He wanted to show his father that he had achieved his dream. I rejoiced in his glory, but more importantly and selfishly, I enjoyed the relief my parenting was not a complete failure.—Akira Odani