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Authors: Simon Duringer
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fourteen immediately ‒
Jack climbed the stairs to board the plane and once aboard, immediately noticed the first time fliers amongst the passengers nervously reading the safety instructions and scanning around for signs of emergency exits. Others were busily filling the overhead lockers with hand luggage and duty free. He glanced to his right to see a smart businessman already settled and looking through his papers, no doubt on his way to Chicago to make his latest deal, craving the commission that would feed his family for the next year or so. Jack wondered how it would feel to be normal. Their eyes met.
“Hi. Rick Kane,” the man said, offering his name.
“Jack Shaw, have you flown before?” Jack responded politely.
“Sure, about once a month. I hear it’s going to be rough tonight!”
“Well, we’ll just have to roll with the punches!” he replied, taking his seat.
“I guess so.”
Jack wasn’t a frequent flyer and recalled a rather hair raising flight as a youngster with his parents travelling on holiday to Barcelona. He didn’t relish the idea of a harsh long haul experience. He settled himself into the seat before glancing up to see the flight attendants marching up and down the aisle, their false smiles firmly attached, assisting the final passengers in finding their seats.
“Could you fasten your seat belt please, sir?” asked the passing attendant, as she checked every row for those non-compliant passengers ignoring the illuminated signs.
She passed Jack, her permanent smile attempting to put Jack at ease. He had wondered how such people managed to maintain it for such long periods of time and, considered how different their inner thoughts might be to their outward appearance.
Within minutes, all of the passengers were settled and the captain switched on the tannoy system announcing their imminent take off.
Moments later the G-force could be felt as the beast of a plane attempted to become airborne. The jet engines straining to get up to speed before finally lifting the wheels off the tarmac. Jack called for the attendant as the plane rose to some 33,000 feet.
“Excuse me, can I get a drink?”
“What would you like, sir?” she responded.
“Vodka on the rocks,” he replied. “Do you want one Rick?”
“No, I’m okay, thanks,” replied Rick, clearly engrossed in some editorial of the in-flight magazine.
“That will be all, thanks,” he said whilst staring into her hazel brown eyes.
To Jack’s delight, the entire flight passed almost without incident. There was some turbulence on the way, but nothing too out of the ordinary. When they finally landed, some several hours later, the tannoy came to life once again;
‒ Please remain seated until we are stationary at the International terminal building ‒ instructed the voice of the stewardess, with which several people immediately got out of their seats and started unloading the overhead lockers.
Having consumed his vodka and exchanged pleasantries with Rick, he had quickly settled back in his seat and drifted off to sleep. He’d had a bad experience with in-flight food previously and first class or not, he had decided not to wait up for the meal.
The flight had passed incredibly quickly for him. He had slept straight through it and dreamt about home. He’d spent most of the previous week covering furniture with dust sheets and locking away his most valuable items in the house. He had taken on a security box at a local bank for his mother’s jewellery, which had lain almost untouched where she had left it that fateful night over two years before. He hoped that one day, he would find someone worthy enough to display it in all its glory once again.
Lucio had assured him that they would keep a close eye on the house and Jack volunteered him the keys to let cleaners in once in a while. He was expecting to be away for some time. Before
Jack climbed the stairs to board the plane and once aboard, immediately noticed the first time fliers amongst the passengers nervously reading the safety instructions and scanning around for signs of emergency exits. Others were busily filling the overhead lockers with hand luggage and duty free. He glanced to his right to see a smart businessman already settled and looking through his papers, no doubt on his way to Chicago to make his latest deal, craving the commission that would feed his family for the next year or so. Jack wondered how it would feel to be normal. Their eyes met.
“Hi. Rick Kane,” the man said, offering his name.
“Jack Shaw, have you flown before?” Jack responded politely.
“Sure, about once a month. I hear it’s going to be rough tonight!”
“Well, we’ll just have to roll with the punches!” he replied, taking his seat.
“I guess so.”
Jack wasn’t a frequent flyer and recalled a rather hair raising flight as a youngster with his parents travelling on holiday to Barcelona. He didn’t relish the idea of a harsh long haul experience. He settled himself into the seat before glancing up to see the flight attendants marching up and down the aisle, their false smiles firmly attached, assisting the final passengers in finding their seats.
“Could you fasten your seat belt please, sir?” asked the passing attendant, as she checked every row for those non-compliant passengers ignoring the illuminated signs.
She passed Jack, her permanent smile attempting to put Jack at ease. He had wondered how such people managed to maintain it for such long periods of time and, considered how different their inner thoughts might be to their outward appearance.
Within minutes, all of the passengers were settled and the captain switched on the tannoy system announcing their imminent take off.
Moments later the G-force could be felt as the beast of a plane attempted to become airborne. The jet engines straining to get up to speed before finally lifting the wheels off the tarmac. Jack called for the attendant as the plane rose to some 33,000 feet.
“Excuse me, can I get a drink?”
“What would you like, sir?” she responded.
“Vodka on the rocks,” he replied. “Do you want one Rick?”
“No, I’m okay, thanks,” replied Rick, clearly engrossed in some editorial of the in-flight magazine.
“That will be all, thanks,” he said whilst staring into her hazel brown eyes.
To Jack’s delight, the entire flight passed almost without incident. There was some turbulence on the way, but nothing too out of the ordinary. When they finally landed, some several hours later, the tannoy came to life once again;
‒ Please remain seated until we are stationary at the International terminal building ‒ instructed the voice of the stewardess, with which several people immediately got out of their seats and started unloading the overhead lockers.
Having consumed his vodka and exchanged pleasantries with Rick, he had quickly settled back in his seat and drifted off to sleep. He’d had a bad experience with in-flight food previously and first class or not, he had decided not to wait up for the meal.
The flight had passed incredibly quickly for him. He had slept straight through it and dreamt about home. He’d spent most of the previous week covering furniture with dust sheets and locking away his most valuable items in the house. He had taken on a security box at a local bank for his mother’s jewellery, which had lain almost untouched where she had left it that fateful night over two years before. He hoped that one day, he would find someone worthy enough to display it in all its glory once again.
Lucio had assured him that they would keep a close eye on the house and Jack volunteered him the keys to let cleaners in once in a while. He was expecting to be away for some time. Before
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