Being the Unexpected Guest

A number of years ago my husband and I attended a charity auction. We bought an item that had been contributed by a very wealthy man, and in the process we met this man. He invited us to his penthouse, which was an impressive home, to put it mildly. By the way, you’ll get no hints as to who this man is.

During our visit with him, he invited us to see a second home, but we’d have to travel by helicopter to see it. The look on his face said, “Trust me, you’ll want to see this.”

This was the beginning of an interesting story.

We met him on the roof of the building where he lived and took his helicopter from there. I’m terrified of flying, but my thought was a helicopter ride wouldn’t be the same as an airplane ride, and it wouldn’t involve going through the airport process. Silly me! I could see all around the helicopter as we flew and within moments I’d grabbed hold of what I thought was probably a safety strap. My shoulder, arm and hand hurt for a few days after this trip. I mean, hurt. I thought I wore a poker face during the trip, but my husband knew. Oh, he knew me so well.

Our pilot took a circuitous route to what turned out to be a “secret” home. It seems this wealthy man had decided he wanted to be prepared for any coming event. The interesting route we took was to keep us from ever finding his home again. As an ex-cop, by husband was an observant man, and even he couldn’t figure out where we were. All I can tell you is that we were in a mountainous area.

We landed on a pad that couldn’t be seen from the air until you were right on top of it. It had been camouflaged, along with almost everything on the property. We were met by a security guard who lived there. Although the man was friendly, he took his job seriously.

Our host excused himself, and the next time we saw him he was wearing camouflage (camo) clothing, right down to his socks and shoes. The jeep on the property was painted as camo, and even the tires were camo.

 Fake Rock

We walked around the property and he showed us fake rocks that hid… Well, who knows what? Almost everything we saw was fake and served a purpose. My guess was electronics or some such thing, but I guess if The Big One (whatever that might be) ever happens, electronics would be useless. From the air and any vantage point, you couldn’t see the home.

I had to laugh to myself as we walked around the property. Our host pointed out a few real rocks and plants and said if I wanted to take one as a souvenir, to feel free. I thanked him but said no.

It really was a home, although not as spectacular as the penthouse he lived in. The difference was that there was a door which could be closed to protect the occupants, and it was made of what I would guess was reinforced steel. If you didn’t close the door, that wall was all windows with a gorgeous view. The house was functional, and yet elaborate.

He showed us cabinets and cupboards filled with long-lasting food (25-year shelf life), first aid items, and things to entertain himself with, along with extra tires in the garage, and the list went on and on. He mentioned weapons, but we didn’t see those.

When we left we had to take the helicopter to get back to the city. It took every bit of gumption I had to reboard. If I could have, I probably would have walked home.

We never saw this very wealthy man again, but it’s a day I’ll long remember. It was also the inspiration for “Entrance to Nowhere – A Sandi Webster Mystery.” After all, how could you spend time with someone like this, in a secret place, and not put the experience to work.

I’ve often said to watch what goes on around you and look for inspiration. Listen to people. A writer has to be at least a little nosey, right? You never know when you’ll have a once in a lifetime experience that won’t let go of your imagination. Although, come to think of it, a lot of things happen in our lives that are one-of-a-kind.

Until next time, make the most of unusual experiences. Enjoy the memories that come with them.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

One Adventure Too Many is the latest Sandi Webster mystery, but you might want to find out what happens at a secret mansion in Entrance to Nowhere, too.