The Joy of Travelling on An Aircraft

When I went to Canada, I wrote John a letter (email) every day. In this way, we felt we were travelling together. This is part of my first letter to John, and I wrote it while sitting on an aircraft flying from Brisbane to Sydney.

I was pretty early at the airport; nonetheless, the time was passing by very quickly. Partially because I was busy with the check-in and all the usual stuff you have to do at the airport, but mainly because… In my thoughts, I was still with you in our dream, the wonderful dream we had just a few hours ago, the dream so incredible, impossible, unimaginable. I had never thought that something like this would ever happen. I have never thought that I would be able to do what we did, not to mention wanting and enjoying it.

Yes, you are right, John, usually I am very nervous, and I cannot relax in such a situation, but this time… It simply felt right. I know a majority of people would judge us, or better, they would judge me because women are more judged than men; there are so many rules describing how we women “should be” “should behave”, and “should live” our lives. People would say that what we did was wrong and inappropriate, if not even immoral.

Not to mention it could go really wrong if the police car appeared earlier. Isn’t it hilarious that though we didn’t do anything criminal or against the law, I’m talking about the fear of a police car? I find it funny.

Anyway, regardless of what the rest of the world would say, I am glad that all that had happened really took place. In this way, in some respect, I am able to take part of you with me on the trip of my dreams and… live two dreams together. One is still just a dream, and the other one is reality. It felt so good when you hold me in your arms. I felt safe, protected, and loved, and I don’t regret anything.

***

While at the airport, I walked through the building and watched the big birds getting ready for their next flights. Isn’t it a bit odd how I see the mechanical birds as a symbol of freedom, though as soon as I find myself in their big bellies, I feel as if I was locked in a coffin?

Maybe the symbolic meaning comes from the fact that these artificial creatures can take me wherever I want to go to any place in the world in a relatively short time, and then as soon as I leave them, I will be freely living the next of my dreams.

The beginning of my trip was not very exciting. After I boarded the aircraft, I was… actually disappointed. I booked a seat next to a window, and what did I get? A place in the middle section of the plane between a toffee-nosed Sydney woman and a very… “fluffy” (I still have to laugh about the story you told me about the “not fat but a very fluffy” dog) most probably IT freak who struggled to squeeze his body between the armrests of his seat.

Don’t you love sitting next to such an enormous person and feeling the hot, almost shapeless pulpy mass pressing against your body? I definitely didn’t like it, so though I knew that it was only a 1-hour flight, I had to resolve my problem.

“Excuse me.” I called to the first passing stewardess, “I booked a seat at a window; however… as you can see, there is no window. Could you please do something about this”

“Oh, yes, I am very sorry.” replied the stewardess and after a quick scan through the available seats on the aircraft, she added, “There is an empty place at the window, just four rows behind you. You can go there after the take-off, but you have to return to your allocated seat before landing”.

And so now I am sitting at the window. Next to me again, a relatively big person, luckily from the continent of rather small human beings and therefore, at least she fits on one seat without having her body spreading over my space.

I am not sure why I have to return to my allocated seat before landing — maybe because in the case that something goes wrong and the aircraft will not make it to the terminal in one piece, it will be easier to identify the bodies? This is a very comforting thought, isn’t it? Luckily I am not afraid of death, so I can joke and laugh about the silly thoughts. Who knows why I have to go back? Not very important. Most importantly, now I can sit where I wanted and enjoy the view through the window.

Thanks to all the confusion, I missed the sunrise, which usually looks very spectacular and unique from this perspective. But, the magic of the early morning continues to go on. The sky is mostly clear, except for the wall of clouds on the horizon, which prevents the wide blue yonder from touching the edge of our planet.

The sun is frivolously hiding behind a single cloud, yet not being able to conceal its happy rays of which light glitters in the waters of the endless channels below us. On the horizon, I can see the high-rise buildings of Brisbane or Gold Coast resembling a town built from Lego bricks. The buildings are getting smaller and smaller before disappearing entirely beyond the horizon. What a peaceful picture… I feel as if you still hold me in your arms, as if there was nobody else, just us somewhere far away from everybody, far away from the reality and the sorrows of everyday life, and I just relish the moment.

***

They served a light breakfast — yogurt — a nice surprise, especially considering that it is a very short flight. Sometimes, however, I wonder what are they thinking of when they give you the cutlery — knife, fork and… a stick with a flat end, which probably would be perfect for mixing sugar in your coffee, but not much good for anything else. Have they ever heard about an item called a spoon? Maybe not. Or perhaps it is listed as a dangerous item, as almost everything in today’s life is. I guess I will try to eat the yogurt with a fork and see how I go.

Out of the window, I can see that the small clouds below us started to multiply and join together, building a perfect white soft carpet resembling endless snow-coated flat fields. The surface of the fields isn’t smooth; no, it is covered with hundreds and hundreds of tiny wrinkles, like the water of a lake when touched by a gentle breath of the wind.

We are coming closer to Sydney. The aircraft starts to circulate. From time to time, its wing playfully touches the velvety blanket of clouds below us. Nevertheless, as soon as it makes contact, it bounces back, and you feel as if the big bird was about to make a pirouette.

At other times you have the impression that the creature is just about to dive nose into the ocean of soft white cotton, but as soon as it almost reaches its goal, it changes its mind, its peak is pointing up again, and we are raising. I guess we are about to get ready for landing, so I better go back to my allocated seat between the toffee-nosed lady and the obese IT guru, hoping that he didn’t wholly overtake my seat.

***

This story was taken from my unpublished book called “Letters to John — From Canada”. One day I hope to publish the full series of “Letters to John”, but till then I decided to share snippets of my books on various social media and on writers' platforms. If you enjoyed reading it you can find more articles from this series on Medium

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