4PM - The louvers are spewing hot air in my face... Before me, a black top road shooting straight far as the eyes can see... The deuce dances up and down, a communion with the road... A glance to my right and I catch, from the corner of my eye, the elated smile on Didier's face... It has not left since we drove off over an hour ago... We are not talking, just enjoying the ride. My mind is floating... I think of the sequel and let ideas come to me... Keeping my mind busy and off of the most important thing right now...

THOUSAND MILES AWAY - ON THE EAST COAST

Jerry hands the DVD to the projector operator and he pops it in... In front of the screen, people are piling up with their lounge chairs, blankets, pop corn... It is hot and humid, and you can smell the ocean breeze... Spectators have showed up early to get he best spots, some as early as two hours before show time. Jerry is texting me updates every 15 minutes... Not knowing I can't read them right now.. Cause I'm driving.... The sun has set over the marina and it is now time to roll...

After a nice introduction from Lea, publisher of STILL RUNNIN MAGAZINE, who, along with Rick promoter of the Daytona Beach Dream Cruise, presented the event, the operator hits the PLAY button...

And DEUCE OF SPADES SPREADS ITS WINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND TAKES FLIGHT .

Black screen... Sound of wind... fade in "FAITH GRANGER PRESENTS" fade out... fade in DEUCE OF SPADES fade out.... Sound of wind... Fade to blurred image... Screen turns beige... A strange, slowly moving red shape in the center... The audience's mind engages immediately.. What is it? Where are we? What is the wind sound all about?

MEANWHILE ON THE WEST COAST...

I get off on Pear Blossom Highway and pull over as soon as I can. Who am I kidding? I'm DYING to know what's going on in Daytona Beach... I read all of Jerry's texts... Some new ones now pop in: "Film has started!!" "Audience is laughing at such and such line".... "Everyone watching the movie attentively"... I got stomach acid now shooting out both my ears... But other than that, I'm JUST FINE!! As Didier and I travel further East on desert roads, texts keep coming in. I glance on and off... "Audience very solemn right now"... "some people crying"... As Act three of my film unfolds, the deuce and I land on the lake bed. I just did a huge burnout for Didier, who has been snapping hundreds of photos already for the big feature story he intends to do in his magazine in January... It is sunset and the sky is BREATHTAKING. I am in awe of the beauty around me... Didier snaps more photos of the deuce and I, my B-3 bomber jacket on my shoulder, standing next to the roadster with my levis, combat boots and severely messy hair... Not exactely a pinup shot. .

We lose daylight... The deuce is now purring its way across the lake to the West end, where the SCTA meet will take place tomorrow. Didier and I have no idea where we will be sleeping tonight but I trust Providence. And Dan Warner . We land in a plush trailer (thank you Lee for being such a gracious, wonderful host!) and soon are offered a wonderful meal, which we eat while sitting by the campfire... The sky is filled with stars.. The fire reflects on our faces... I think about the film... It must be almost over now... I am hopeful the audience will like it... Please Lord I hope they GET IT...

BACK IN DAYTONA BEACH

The climax scene unfolds... And the audience starts applauding at the KEY moment... Every filmmaker's dreams... The film ends in MORE APPLAUSE... Jerry, a big smile on his face, texts me immediately to share the awesome news!

WE HAVE A WINNER ON OUR HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE

I see Jerry's text... I am elated! It's like a million pounds of worries has been lifted off my shoulders... They liked it!! In fact, I think it safe to say they actually LOVED IT. Considering the feedback Jerry is now getting from, pretty much, all who are walking up to him... ...

"I got goose bumps!" ............... "I am not one to tear up easily but the movie made me cry three times!!!" ............ "You have done such an AAAAAMAAAAZING JOB! We LOOOOOOVED the film!!!"

The most amazing part of it all, is that the audience remained attentive the entire two hours and thirty five minutes, and noone left, not even to go to the bathroom.   I am sure most spectators felt the film was long (cause it is) and the American pubic is no longer used to film that are slow paced and cerebral... tanks to the recent Hollywood trends action packed CGI orgie new block busters...  But my film must have kept them interested because they stuck with it. Furthermore, I was able to take their hand and walk them through a difficult journey, taking them places most people don't want to go or experience and they let me. They walked with me until the end and ripped the reward, the phenomenal lifting feeling at the end... When the film soars again...

I had taken them on one wild roller coaster ride that would tug pretty hard at their heart strings and they followed me until the final destination was reached. 

As I laid down on my large bunk that night, tired but happy, I was wondering whether my body was levitating above the mattress....

Cause it sure felt like it