Finally,two weeks after I was officially hired, I got the call I’d been waiting for. Today was my first flight, and I was overly excited but extremely nervous. Thank goodness the other flight attendants were experienced and willing to look out for me.
“You’re doing great, Khiya. Much better than I did on my first day,” Evelyn, one of the flight attendants, whispered.
“Thank you.”
Everyone had boarded the plane, and we had begun going over the instructions. I walked up and down the aisle, ensuring all overhead bins were secured, everyone had their seat belts on, tray tables up, and small bags or purses under the seat in front of them.
By the time I reached the front of the plane, Kendall and Evelyn had completed the safety demonstration, and we were ready for takeoff. I sat and secured my seat as well, taking a slow, deep breath.
“I still can’t believe I’m a flight attendant,” I told Kendall, the male on our three-person crew.
“Was this a lifelong dream of yours?” he asked.
“Not at all. It never crossed my mind until I applied.”
“Same here. It’s not a bad job, but I don’t know many people who aspire to do it. I was at a crossroads in my life when I applied, but I have no regrets. Hopefully, you won’t either.”
The plane had reached a safe altitude for us to move around, so we began preparing the drink and snack cart. The flight to Denver was just under three hours, and by the time we finished serving the snacks, we had a little less than an hour left.
“Good afternoon, everyone. This is your captain speaking. It looks like the snowstorm in Denver that I mentioned has picked up, and we’re gonna experience some turbulence as we begin our descent. Please adhere to theFasten Seatbeltsign that will remain on for the duration of our flight.”
I was hoping my first flight would be smooth sailing, but I guess that was asking too much. We put the cart away and went through the aisle to collect trash. Just as we finished, the turbulence worsened, and we quickly returned to our seats.
“Are you nervous?” Evelyn asked.
“This wasn’t what I expected for my first flight, but I’m okay.”
“The storm is pretty bad, and there’s a good chance we might be grounded for the night. The captain will let us know once we land.”
I laughed nervously. “Spending Valentine’s Day in Denver won’t be so bad. It’s not like I had plans.”
“Aww. You don’t have anyone waiting for you back in Chicago to wine and dine you tonight?”
“Unfortunately, no. How about you?”
She held up her hand to show me the wedding ring I hadn’t noticed.
“I’ve been married for five years, but we don’t make a big deal out of these man-made holidays. If I were home, we’d probably order in, cuddle up on the couch, and watch movies. Sometimes we exchange gifts, sometimes we don’t. It really just depends on what’s going on.”
“I love that. I think in relationships, you have to do what works for you and your partner, and it sounds like you two have it figured out.”
“Yeah. He’s great. We didn’t have any plans, but he’ll be disappointed if I can’t fly back tonight, as he would be any other night.”
“I’m sure. I can’t wait to have someone be disappointed about me not coming home.”
We laughed, but I was serious. I’d been single for two years, and I missed having someone special in my life. I thought my ex, Harlan, was the one, but much like my former employer, he invited me over one day to break up with me. It was heartbreaking, and very unexpected, but I took it on the chin and didn’t even bother to ask him why.
“Hold on. It’s about to get bumpy,” Evelyn warned.
She didn’t lie. I’d never experienced so much turbulence or a landing as bumpy in my life, but I was grateful we’d made it safely to our destination. About twenty minutes later, the plane was empty aside from the cleanup crew. It had been confirmed that we were grounded for this evening and would be spending the night in Denver.
“Today has been a wonderful introduction,” I said sarcastically as we walked through the airport.
“Yeah. The only thing that would’ve made this worse is an irate passenger. Thankfully, everyone on this flight behaved.”
“That would’ve been horrible.”
“Being grounded in Denver ain’t so bad. The hotel we’re staying in is connected to the airport, so we don’t have to go outside. They have a nice restaurant that’s open until ten, and a bar that’s open until midnight. You can also order room service, which is what I plan to do.”
