Close Call

A Chapter by Sammich

The plane lands, a button that indicates that we can take off our seat belts flashes, and we wait for the flight attendant to announce that we may enter the great unknown. Instead, a man walks out of the control room, and says, “Passengers, I am sorry for the inconvenience, but the front propeller is not working properly. We will be stuck in Paris, France until the morning. Those who need to get to India immediately may exchange their ticket, at the information desk, for one that will leave soon. Thank you for flying with United Airways.”

Paris, France! I`ve always dreamed of what it would look like, and now those dreams are a reality! I grab my backpack, and hightail it out of the plane, and the airport. I know that I must have been booking it, because it only took ten minutes to get out of that elbow-bumping airport. The Eiffel Tower welcomes me to this strange new land. All around me, people are speaking in French.

“Bonjour.”

“Excuses-moi.”

If I am not careful, I could pick up their language and dialect. Imagine what Dad would say, if I started talking to him in French! “I`m not going to be the least bit careful,” I tell myself smiling.

Where should I start first? “Camera, duh!” I say slapping my forehead. Who can go on the biggest adventure ever, and have nothing to show for it? I can, that`s who; but I won`t let that happen.

I shop around for a bit, and find a digital camera on sale. It comes with batteries, a memory card, and all that jazz; and it only costs $100!

As I purchase the camera, I whisper, “Thank you, Dad.”

“Excuses-moi?” The cashier asks.

“Oh nothing, I was just talking to myself,” I say smiling.

She looks at me with a quizzical look, obviously unable to understand what I just said.

“Never mind,” I say waving my hand dismissively.

“Merci beaucoup,” the kind cashier says smiling.

I walk out of the store, and wander around the busy streets, buying a few souvenirs, which include a glass key chain of the Eiffel Tower. I hook it onto my backpack. “Just in case I get home,” I tell myself, buying Tieson a small teddy bear with an “I love Paris” tee shirt.

I can just see my Dad scolding me, “You bought these souvenirs, but you almost starved to death! Blade, what were you thinking!

I spend all night watching the people going about their business. I visit their museums, learning about the French Revolution, and all of their monarchs. “My first real dose of history,” I laugh to myself.

Five o`clock comes all too soon. I have to make my way out of that French paradise, and into the American reality. I know that I will miss the salt filled air and their greener that green grass. I`d miss the busy streets, and the attempts of trying to communicate with the Frenchies. I am taller than many of the people here, so I secretly nickname them the “French Fries.” I slowly make my way to the airport. I take in the delicious smells as I pass the hotdog stands and ice cream carts.

At five thirty, I arrive at the airport, and enter the elbow bumping area once more. I arrive at the walkway just as the airplane door is shutting. I run to the temporary steps and as the men are carting it away, I run up the stairs, and leap onto the plane. I feel like I am flying. I barely squeeze through the small crack that is getting smaller and smaller by the second. The next thing I know is I am lying on the hard floor. Blood is gushing from my nose, and a flight attendant seems to be yelling at me, though she is hard to hear. Everything is so blurry. I begin to see less and less, and as I struggle to push myself up, it feels like there is two ton on my back. I struggle under the weight, and finally I can`t bear it any longer. My arms give way and I crash to the floor again. The last thing I remember, before I black out, is a crowd of people standing around, just staring at me.

I fall into a trance. My brother is sitting on his bed crying. Dad has his big, hairy arms around him. Tieson doesn`t say anything, but keeps staring at a piece of paper.

“Why did she have to go on that trip, Daddy?” He asks between sobs. “Didn`t she love me. Now I have no mother, and no sister.”

“What? You didn`t lose me! I`m right here, Tie! Look at me!” I cry out to him, but he doesn`t seem to hear or notice me. “I`m here!” I keep yelling, to no avail.

Tieson and Dad start drifting away, and I feel myself being pulled out of a dark abyss. The light blinds me as I start opening my eyes. The people are still staring at me, and it makes me feel very uncomfortable. Oh, and there is Mrs. Scream-A-Lot, giving me a mega headache.

When I finally come into focus, I catch the last few lines of what must have been a very long, very intensive yelling match between “Video Boy” and the flight attendant. Is he actually defending me? I`m so confused!

Then she turns to me, and yells, “We could have left you behind. Next time, be punctual.”

The crowd takes their seats as I struggle to my feet.

“Need help?” “Video Boy” asks me.

“That`s okay. Thanks, anyway.”

He grabs my arm, and leads me to my seat. He obviously doesn`t take no for an answer.

When I am seated, I ask him “What was all the yelling about?”

“She was just irritating me with her snappiness at you, so I set her straight.” He shrugs. “I`m Jake. Jake Sauder,” he says, holding out his strong, sturdy hand.

“Nice to meet you, Jake. I`m Abigail Storm, but my friends call me Blade. Thanks for defending me.”

“No prob. Hey, you should get that cleaned up. There is a first aid kit up there.” He points to a metal box to the right of the pilot`s chamber.

I smile and walk, a little more stably, to the box.

“What are you doing, trouble maker?” The snobby flight attendant asks me.

“I just need something to help me stop bleeding.” I say through my teeth. You wouldn`t want me to bleed to death on your plane, because you decided to neglect me, do you? It`s not a wise idea, especially with all these witnesses. I think. Dude, really why can`t she be nice? What`s her problem?

“Maizie, come take care of this girl,” she snaps.

I feel like yelling at her and saying, “you know, this girl does have a name!”

“Yes, Bella,” Maizie replies.

Maizie, what a pretty name!

“Come with me, Ma’am,” Maizie says humbly. She grabs a sterile cloth, and a half-full bottle of some sterilized water. We walk to the bathroom, where she makes me pinch my nose, and hold it forward for ten minutes.

“Thank`s for your help,” I say smiling.

“Of course, stewardesses are supposed to help in any way possible.” She smiles.

“Obviously, Bella doesn`t follow the same standards.”

“No. She must have had a rough childhood or something. Don`t worry, it`s not just you. She snaps at everyone,” Maizie assures me sadly.

“Then why is she still here? Why hasn`t she been fired?”

“Have you seen her body? The men call her “the bomb,” and let`s just say she…has her ways. Now let`s clean your face up.” She smiles.

Maizie cleans me up, and then I walk back to my seat.

“Now you look better,” Jake tells me.

“Thanks.”

“So, kid, why are you on this plane?”

“I`m on an adventure. And, by the way, I`m not a kid.”

“Sorry, how old are you…nineteen?” he asks.

“Close, I`m eighteen,” I say feeling much better, and even finding myself smiling a bit. “Why are you going to India?”

“I`m visiting a friend,” he answers.

I am quiet for the rest of the flight. The hours creep away. As the sun peeks out from the horizon, I wrap my blanket around me and say “good night” to the world. The bigger man had not returned to the plane, so I take up his seat. The ocean is the prettiest that I`ve ever seen it. The sun bounces off the water sending sunrays through the plane windows. Slowly, I fall asleep.

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