Today, you are on a plane. The lady seated beside you is crying inconsolably. Why is she crying? Do you get involved? Is she afraid of flying or is she leaving her old life behind for a new one? Tell your reader the story behind the tears or why you didn't find out the story...
Go for 5 minutes...and don't edit yourself. GO>>>
The 'Fasten Seat Belts' signed blinked off as the plane levelled off and began its long journey into late night sky. I sighed and unclipped the seat belt, watching as the two young stewardesses made their way down the aisles, checking to see if the passengers needed anything, handing out blankets and pillows for those who wanted to sleep. We had been delayed six hours at the airport and I had despaired that this flight to New York would ever depart in time for me to enjoy my short but much longed for vacation.
"Do you need a blanket or pillow?" The stewardess had reached my aisle seat and was smiling softly down at me and the passenger seated next to me.
"I'll just have a blanket," I replied. I wasn't feeling tired yet but I knew that it would soon creep upon me, afterall, I had been up since six o'clock this morning and hadn't gone to bed until after midnight when I had finished packing.
The stewardess passed me a blanket and gave the lady sitting next to me a pillow and a blanket. I unfolded the plain, blue blanket and draped it over my legs before relaxing back into my seat, letting the quietness of the cabin soothe my frantic mind. It had been a long day, dashing around at work making sure that everything that needed to be done had been done before hurrying home to grab my suitcase and holdall and heading off for the airport only to find that the flights were delayed due to the bad weather sweeping through the area. Still, we were now airborne, and my holiday was just starting and I was determined to enjoy every minute of it.
I don't know how much time had passed before I became aware of the woman sat next to me gently weeping into the soft folds of her blanket. I hadn't paid much attention to the woman when I had boarded the plane. All I had noticed was thate the window seat was strangely empty, the woman sitting in the middle seat next to my aisle seat.
I looked at her, noting the fine, silver streaked hair and the delicate creases around her eyes. She looked to be in her sixties, someone's mother or grandmother perhaps. Whoever she was, she seemed to be very upset over something. I watched as tears slowly slipped from beneath closed eyes, her breathing ragged as she tried not to sob out loud.
"Erm, excuse me, are you okay?" I asked not wanting to appear nosy but concerned by her distress.
The woman drew in a deep, shuddering breath before she turned her tear drenched eyes upon me. They were a pale blue, I noted, slightly pinkened by the crying that she had been doing.
"I'm alright, dear, just a little upset." Her voice was soft and gentle, filled with a sadness that plucked at me.
"Are you going on holiday?" I asked, wanting to help but not sure how to.
"No, I'm travelling to New York to go and live with my daughter. She's been asking us, me I should say, to do it for months. I thought it was time to take her up on her offer."
"Are you travelling alone?" It seemed strange to me that no one was travelling with a lady of her advanced years. I certainly would not have let my mother travel to New York on her own.
The woman looked at the empty seat next to her. Her eyes took on a dreamy, faraway look as she remembered distant conversations, plans and dreams for a future that wasn't to be. "We were supposed to be travelling together. Setting up a new future with our daughter and her family. Enjoying our retirement with our family. But then he found a lump," her voice faltered, her breath shuddering as she remembered that fateful day. "It came on so fast and there was nothing they could do. Nothing at all." She smiled slightly at me, trying to be positive for the new future that awaited her. "He made me promise to still come out here and live with our daughter after he'd gone. Told me that he would always be with me, in here." She placed a hand over her heart before her eyes fell on the pain wedding band on her finger. "I just have to get used to that empty seat that's always going to be next to me."
I sat in silence, unsure of what to do or say. How hard it must be for someone to lose their husband after having planned a future where they could enjoy their family and each other. My much needed holiday now seemed insignificant when compared to this lady's reason for travelling and what she had gone through.
"Can I get you a tea or coffee?" The arrival of the stewardness provided a welcome break in our brief conversation. We ordered our drinks and sat back to drink them in silence. I felt sure that we would talk again during our long flight but for now, silence was our companion as the plane continued its long flight towards the next chapter in our lives.