First airplane ride

The children sitting in front of us on the airplane clearly had never flown before.

The big sister reached out and fiddled with the little knob on the back of the seat in front of her. She twisted it and the tray table dropped in front of her pink shirt, pink trimmed shorts and the new pink sneakers swinging excitedly under her seat. “Look! We have a little table,” she squealed.

Her little brother in a black t-shirt grinned back at her. They have found a wonderful thing on this wonderful day when they would finally visit their grandmother who lives a long ways away. For this monumental day both wore new clothes. It was so exciting to be on a plane – a real plane. He sat on the aisle seat, and she sat by the window. He leaned over her to peer down at the ground through the tiny window. He wanted to see the trams bringing the last bit of luggage to the underbelly of the plane. He wanted to watch the ground crew preparing us for take-off. He looked at the empty row of seats across from us. “Do you want to sit by the window? Back there?” His mother asked.

His eyes brightened, he nodded, most definitely he did. He unfastened the seat belt she had just locked and slid across the aisle. He eagerly sat up straight and stared out the window.

The idling engines revved and the plane began backing away from the terminal.

“We are moving!” he gasped. This place as big as his house could move!

He glued his eyes to the window eager to see everything.

The flight attendant walked through checking seat belts, “You will have to sit with your son,” she told the mother. Disappointment reigned, one of the three would not be able to sit by a window. The plane taxied to the runway to line up for take off.

Big sister studied the ground outside her window.

The little boy leaned forward, craning for a view, watching, just watching.

The pilot shifted the engines into a faster gear, the engines surged, G-forces pushed us against our seats and the plane surged down the strip of concrete with a bump, a trip … and we are on our way.

Totally absorbed with the world shrinking outside their window, the children chattered about the the little trees and cars as the plane lifted us over the airport parking and adjoining suburbs shrinking the world even more.

We ascended into a swirl of low lying clouds blinded by the fog of moisture. And still the plane pressed upward and the children continued to stare at the wall of white outside their window.

The plane pushed through the clouds, until with a burst of light we emerged from the fog to see the banks of clouds we had just left.

“Look. We are above the clouds,” the boy pointed excitedly.

The clouds make white mounds of cotton, an inviting field of snow covered the ground just beneath us.

My husband leaned forward and asked the children, “Wouldn’t you just like to go out and walk on them?”

The lad’s eyes widened with the wonder of the idea. He would love to walk on clouds.

Our plane skimmed just above the clouds, touching a few. Then the pilot pointed its nose up again. The plane lifted itself until we saw only a snow covered, unchanging ground beneath us. Slowly we all realized nothing will change now. Reluctantly we settled down for the two-hour flight. Big sister pulled the shade down and closed her eyes.

For a while little brother searched for a new discovery, but the day had started very early. He had been at the airport long before he usually awakes. With no more new experiences, the excitement waned. His head nodded and he joined his sister in the Land of Nod, high above the earth, flying over clouds that only look substantial enough for a walk.

The plane quieted down, as one head after another drooped to the side. Quiet descended.

No noisy carts today. No stewardesses leaning over our seats, asking if we want refreshments. We had a short flight in the age of expense cuts. No free perks today, other than a cup of water and a glimpse of the most wonderful show above the earth.

Joan Hershberger is a staff writer for the El Dorado News Times. She may be reached at joanh@everybody.org


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