Linda was dismayed that she and her wealthy husband had to fly economy class, but then the worst thing imaginable happened: a woman with a crying baby took the seat next to her. Linda had to do something to get rid of them.
Linda’s upper lip curled in disgust as she got to her economy class seat. She took special care to smooth down her skirt so the tight fit didn’t wrinkle the expensive fabric.
“I can’t believe you accidentally booked our flight in economy class,” Linda told her husband Jonathan. She looked around the cabin while stroking her hair and lowering her voice to a whisper, “These people are all poor, almost like peasants. How are we going to get through this?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we just have to put up with it. It’s only a four-hour flight from Baton Rouge to Miami.” Jonathan knew exactly how picky and dramatic Linda was. He hoped she wouldn’t whine the whole flight.
Linda turned when she noticed another passenger sitting next to her. Her fear of the flight turned to horror when she saw a baby in the young woman’s arms.
The baby started whimpering as soon as the young woman sat down. She smiled apologetically at Linda as his small arms pushed aside the blue blanket it was wrapped in and it made restless noises.
Linda turned to Jonathan and made a face. “I won’t be able to stay sane if these four hours are filled with something like this.” She pointed to the baby.
Minutes passed but they felt like hours as Linda watched the baby grow more restless. She knew she had to do something when it grimaced its little face and began to cry.
“Excuse me.” Linda gave the girl her prettiest fake smile. “Can’t you give the kid a pacifier or rock him to put him to sleep? That screaming is really annoying.”
“I’m very sorry.” The girl held her baby closer and rummaged in her bag. “He’s been fed and all, I don’t know why he’s screaming like that.”
“Maybe he needs a fresh diaper. Find out because I can’t spend the whole flight listening to that.” She waved her hand at the child.
“Naturally.” The woman backed away. She took a bottle from her bag and offered it to the baby, but he pushed it aside and cried even louder.
Linda pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Girl, why are you on a plane with a baby if you can’t control it? Don’t you know anything about motherhood?”
“It’s not that simple, ma’am!” she replied.
“Then let’s just do it.” Linda stood and waved to a passing flight attendant. “Excuse me, but you must get this young woman and her baby off the plane.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I can’t do that.” The flight attendant turned to the young mother. “Can I get you something, Miss, to calm the little fellow?”
“I don’t know it.” The baby was now wriggling in the woman’s arms and the mother was close to tears. “He’s usually asleep now, but now he just gets grumpy.”
“Don’t you have any brandy on the plane?” Linda intervened. “My mother always told me that there’s nothing like a drop of brandy to put a baby to sleep.”
Finally, the pilot announced that they would land soon. Linda watched the young mother. It looked like she was crying.
“I’m not going to give my child alcohol!” The mother stared at Linda.
“I don’t think airline policy allows that, ma’am.” The flight attendant added. “I suggest you use headphones to block out the noise if you can’t handle it.”
“This is unacceptable!” Linda jabbed her finger in the air. “If you can’t keep this baby quiet, I demand that you remove her from the plane. It’s not fair to expect me to listen to that quacking for the next four hours! I won’t put up with it.”
“Well, ma’am, if you keep making trouble, you don’t have to.” The flight attendant smiled. “I will not have the baby and his mama removed from the plane, but I will ask security to remove you!”
“I will never fly with this airline again.” Linda glanced sideways at the woman next to her. The plane was taxiing now and the little monster child was crying even louder than before.
The young woman didn’t know what she was doing, because every attempt to calm the child only made him angrier. Once the plane was in the level, things got even worse. The mother got a call and Linda had to endure her chatter and her child’s crying.
Linda was about to ask her to calm down, but then she heard what the girl said and her heart melted.
“I’m starting to think that was a terrible idea, baby.” said the mother.
“Nicky’s been bitching about it all the time and I’m a nervous wreck…no I haven’t seen my dad yet! This is going to be our first meeting and I can’t just go in the cockpit and say, ‘Surprise, I’m your daughter .'”
The girl sighed deeply and rocked the baby in her arms. “Honestly, this plan isn’t working the way I envisioned it,” she continued. “In theory it was a much better idea than in practice.”
That was fascinating! Linda unobtrusively leaned closer to listen while the mother continued to speak.
“Sure, I’ll call you back when I meet him,” said the woman. “Or don’t date him; I really don’t know if I can pull this off if it costs me anything just to get through Nicky. I wish you were here with me. I know baby. I love you also.”
Linda looked away when the mother hung up, but her interest was piqued. She had to know more!
“Excuse me, I just wanted to apologize for being so rude earlier.” Linda smiled at the woman and shook her hand. “I’m Linda and flying makes me moody.”
A tall man in a pilot’s uniform strode toward them. He was grinning widely and his eyes were shining when he spotted April.
“I’m April.” The woman frowned as she shook Linda’s hand.
“Let’s see if the little bundle will be busy with that.” Linda reached into her purse and pulled out an empty compact that she kept in her purse for the mirror. The baby immediately reached out to grab it.
“So,” Linda continued while peering over the top of her glasses, “why don’t you tell me what brings you to Miami? Business or pleasure?”
Linda’s plan worked. While baby Nicky was busy with his reflection and the mechanism of opening and closing the old can, Linda got April to tell her everything.
“… and Mom would never let me try to find him. She always said he was a workaholic who didn’t feel anything for her or me.” April hung her head. “But I haven’t given up looking for my father. I’ve searched social media for years. He doesn’t have any accounts, but I finally found his trail.”
“I can’t believe what you went through to track down this man!” Linda leaned closer.
“And you are sure that your long missing father is the pilot of this flight?”
“Er, pretty sure. I was hoping to meet him upon landing in Miami, but now I think that was a bad idea.” April sighed. “I’ve been saving for a long time to be able to afford this flight. I hate wasting the money by giving up, but how can I meet him like this?”
Linda glanced at Jonathan. She saw on his face that he was just as uncomfortable in this situation as she was.
“I’m very sorry you feel this way, April.” Linda put her hand on the woman’s arm. “After all this time and effort… well, you must do what is best for you.”
Linda excused herself to go to the washroom. She had tears in her eyes because of April’s story. It was so sad that she had tried so hard to find her father, only to give up now that he was finally within reach.
Linda was restless for the rest of the flight. She wanted April to make her move, but she was paralyzed by doubt. Finally, the pilot announced that they would land soon. Linda watched the young mother. She looked like she was crying.
“I would also like to thank you for your patience with my grandson who cried most of the flight,” the pilot added after finishing the announcement.
April’s head snapped up in shock.
“Flying is probably not in the genes,” the pilot continued. “April, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you are here. I can’t wait to see you. Please wait for me when we land.”
“How does he know?” asked April. She looked at Linda in shock. “I’m so confused.”
“I couldn’t let you try so hard for nothing, dear.” Linda smiled at April. “I spoke to one of the flight attendants while I was in the restroom earlier. I told her your story and asked her to relay the information to the pilots.”
“You shouldn’t have done that…really.” April’s expression was grim. “There’s no way I can meet him right now. What if everything Mom said about him is true?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be here all the time.” Linda put her arm around April’s shoulders.
They were the last passengers on the plane. Linda, Jonathan and April all had their eyes fixed on the end of the aisle. Every moment…
A tall man in a pilot’s uniform strode toward them. He was grinning widely and his eyes were shining when he spotted April.
“Look at you!” the pilot spread his arms as he approached.
“I can’t believe I finally get to see you and meet my precious grandson.”
April sobbed as she hugged her father. Linda also had tears in her eyes when she witnessed the happy reunion.
“You did something good, Linda.” Jonathan took his wife’s hands in his own.
“I couldn’t let this sweet girl regret her life, could I?”
The four adults and baby Nicky got off the plane and went to lunch. Linda and Jonathan had been reluctant to join them, but April and her father, Ben, insisted.
“Your mom couldn’t adjust to a pilot’s schedule,” Ben said while they waited for their order. “I was sorry to lose her, but it didn’t break my heart as much as when she refused to let me see you.”
April took her father’s hand in hers. “I don’t think she ever really got over it and that made her bitter. She never had a good word to say about you.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t listen to her and that you’re here now.” Ben smiled. “I’ll be retiring soon and I can’t think of anything better than getting to know my daughter and grandson.”
“Really?” April’s eyes lit up. “Are you going to live in Baton Rouge?”
“Honey, I’d live on the moon if it was necessary to be near you.”
A few months later, Linda followed Jonathan around her luxurious home while she brushed his suit and straightened his tie.
“Linda, please, I look good,” Jonathan said.
“Good is not good enough.” Linda picked one last smudge from Jonathan’s lapel.
“You have to look good for Nicky’s first birthday party. I wouldn’t accept anything less.”
Then the doorbell rang and Jonathan rushed off to answer. April stood on the doorstep with Nicky in her arms. Her husband stood by her side and Ben stood behind them.
“There’s my little godchild.” Jonathan reached for Nicky to hug him. The boy gave him a wide grin.
Then Linda appeared. She admonished Jonathan for leaving the guests on the doorstep and invited everyone in. He chuckled as he heard her quizzing Ben about his retirement and reminding April of her beauty salon appointment later in the week. Linda was definitely a drama queen, but she had a good heart.
What can we learn from this story?
Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all. If April hadn’t met her father on the plane, she would surely have regretted it later.
Don’t be too quick to judge others. Although Linda was initially rude and mean to April, she showed a good heart when she helped her meet her father.
Share this story with your friends. Maybe it will brighten your day and inspire you.
If you liked this story, you might like the one about a young man who gets a bad shock when his father catches him mocking a flight attendant.