Issuu

Interviews I was still reeling from my early Good Morning America interview and afterwards my sit down with Regis and Kelly. My agent was trying to work it out that the week before I “went down” I could be the guest host of Saturday Night Live. Now it was too late. Saturday at four o'clock I was going down. All of the interviews included the same type of questions: “Are you nervous something might go wrong?” “How long will you be asleep for?” “Why are you doing this?” “In case of emergencies, will they wake you up?” I shake my head. “No.” They always make a mention that I am the modern day Rip Van Winkle which is the name of the program I remind them. And then I always make the joke, “Does that make me Vanilla Ice’s cousin?” Then there is a blank look until I explain or if they are bright they get that Vanilla Ice’s real surname is Van Winkle. Then there is the question I always dread, “How about relationships? Do you have a girlfriend?” I sigh. “Nope. All alone.” “Would you do this if you had a girlfriend?” “I don’t know. I don’t have one so I don’t really know.” I pause before going on. “But yes, I think I would. I always wanted to be an astronaut. And if I can sleep for ten years to help science and help astronauts get to Mars or to the next star – count me in.” “Are they paying you lots of money to do it?” “Yes.” And I blush. “Some up front and more at the end of the ten years plus accrued interest.”

“What happens to the money if you don’t make it?” “It goes to my family and a charity organization of my choosing.” “So is the charity organization rooting for you to not wake up?” And the audience gives a nervous giggle. “Maybe. It’s the Shriners.” The host always laughs. “Shriners? They are going to blow it on booze and strippers!” “Well I was crippled when I was a kid, and when my parents couldn’t afford it, they gave me a free surgery to take care of my club foot.” “And your family?” “They are very supportive. And they will be there when I go down and when I wake up.” “And if they are not?” “I know they didn’t make it. Or I didn’t make it.” Sitting in traffic on Broadway in the limo – I looked around and tried to cherish the sounds, the imagery, and just life in general. I saw the yellow taxi cabs and their drivers – cussing, yelling, blowing their horns hoping it would encourage traffic to move forward. I watched the messengers and delivery people on their bicycles pushing through the spaces in-between the vehicles. But I sat alone. And only now as I was nearly forty-eight hours away from ten years, it was suddenly sinking in. I was going to be asleep for a long time. I was going to miss an entire decade. A decade of music. Television series. News events. People will die. People will be born. And there I will be, in my little hibernation chamber like Michael Jackson had been when he was alive. It was good to be doing the interviews. I liked being surrounded by people. I even liked the random, repetitious questions of what I was going to do. I liked the publicity. But yeah the relationship questions stung a bit. I knew they would come but they always shocked me a bit when they did. I guess because when they asked I always saw her face. "Maybe what I should say on the next interview is how I am looking for a girl to spend my last night with," I thought to myself. Would I get offers?

But would that be a good thing? To spend my last awake moment having meaningless sex with a stranger? Well, it depended on how hot she was. Hell, why was I thinking so small? Why not spend it with several women? Then the pessimist came out. Would be my luck I would get infected with HIV and I would die while “under”. Then the thought of ten years returned to me. What if AIDS is cured by then? “We are here, sir. Ed Sullivan theatre.” The limo driver announced after letting down the tinted window that was between us. “Okay. Thanks man.” “Just give me a call when you need me to take you to your hotel and I will meet you out front – okay?” “Sure. No problem. ” And I climbed down the seat and pushed open the door. People turned to see who I was – as I crossed the sidewalk but then didn’t recognize me and they kept moving. I walked right into the lobby. “I am here for the David Letterman show taping.” The lady at the desk looked like she didn’t believe me. She looked me up and down and chewed her gum slowly. “And you are?” “Tom Dormase.” Her eyes brightened and she stood up at once from her chair. “Oh you are that guy who’s going to sleep for ten years!” “Yep that’s me.” “Give me a sec, hon, and I will tell Sandra. She will come down and prep you.” “Okay. No problem.” And the lady chewing gum was on the phone talking to someone. That’s when my iPhone started ringing in my pocket. I grabbed it and touched it to answer. “Hello.” There was silence.

“Hello? This is Tom.” Quiet still. “Is there anybody there?” Then I heard someone clear their throat. “Tom…?” “Yes. This is Tom. Who is this?” “Its, uh, Samantha.” I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. “Sam? Why are you calling me? How did you get my number?” “I called your parents.” “And they gave you my number? I am going to cuss my mom out.” She laughed. “Same old Tom.” I didn’t laugh back. “No I am not. I am a different Tom. Not the same Tom.” “Okay, okay. I understand.” “So why are you calling me?” The lady with the chewing gum was pointing out to some chairs that I could take a seat on. I nodded and walked towards them but I didn’t sit. “I need to see you.” The voice on the phone said. “I don’t want to see you.” “I know. I understand. But really, I need to see you.” “Why suddenly now? You haven’t said a word to me in nine years. Now you have to see me.” “Look I know you are angry. But it was a long, long time ago.” “Yeah, well. It feels like yesterday.” “And that’s what I want to talk to you about.” I was staring out at the traffic. “Did you see me on television is that why you are calling me?”

“Yes. And you look very good. Funny too. Makes me proud.” “Proud that you left me?” “Please, Tom. This is hard for both of us. Let’s not make it worse. But I am taking a train into the city. Let’s meet at a coffee shop or go out for dinner.” “You live near New York?” “Connecticut.” “You bringing your husband?” “No,” she said a little too quickly. “He doesn’t know I am going to meet you.” “So you are cheating on him now too?” “Please,” she pleaded. “Stop, okay?” “Why should I meet you?” “Because you should. There is something important I need to say. I need to tell you. And I want to do it face to face.” I thought hard. I felt my heart pounding. I loved the sound of her voice. Then I became weak, “Okay. Text me an address and I will meet you. But I am going to be busy for the next couple of hours.” “Its okay. It will take me a couple hours to get there. I have to make sure Eloisa gets back from school and she has band practice.” “Is that your daughter’s name? Eloisa?” Samantha is quiet for a moment. “Yes. That’s her name.” I stood there with all these emotions swirling around inside of me. “Okay, lets get this done. Text me the location. I will meet you.” “Thank you Tom. I really, really need this.” “Well, I want you to know. I never stopped loving you.” Samantha seemed to get emotional on the other line. “I know that. I have always known.”

“Mister Dormase?” a voice said behind me. I turn there is a beautiful blonde woman with her hair in a pony tail and her hand extended. “Look I gotta go. See you when I see you.” And I touched the phone to hang up. Then I reached out my hand. “Yes, that’s me. Sorry about that.” I said stuffing my phone in my back pocket. The woman smiled. “No problem. I am here to take you to the set. You excited? Dave is really interested in meeting you.” I smiled. “How surreal. I am going to be on the David Letterman show.” “Yes you are.” And we walked off together.