‘But it’s an emergency!’ wailed Leah, doing a little dance for extra effect.
I caught the old man’s gaze. He winked at me, clearly enjoying the show.
Dave entered, a contrived concern in his voice. ‘Look, my wife is having health problems. She really needs to use the toilet in the front. The one in the back is…busy.’
The flight attendant looked confused. ‘I understand, but rules are rules. You’ll have to wait until the captain turns off the seatbelt sign.’
Leah’s face crinkled. ‘But I can’t wait! Please, I’m begging you!’
I had to hand it to her…she wasn’t a bad actress. If I hadn’t known better, I might have felt sorry for her.
The attendant sighed, clearly hesitating. ‘All right, but only quickly. And get back to your seats immediately afterwards, understand?’
Dave and Leah nodded vigorously, already pushing past her to the front of the plane. As they approached my row, I couldn’t help myself. I stood up, blocking their path.
‘Whoa, guys. Didn’t we already have a deal? Back of the plane, remember?’ I said, loud enough for the passengers to hear.
Dave’s face darkened. ‘Mind your own business, mate. It’s none of your business.’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, I guess it does apply. After all, we don’t want any more… breakdowns, do we?’
Leah spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet. ‘Please, sir. It’s just a short toilet break. We promise we’ll be right back.’
I looked at her, then at Dave, then at the approaching stewardess who let them pass. Time to end this farce.
‘You know what? You’re right. It’s just a toilet break,’ I said, stepping aside. ‘Come on in.’
Dave and Leah exchanged triumphant glances as they walked past me. But I wasn’t done yet. I turned to the stewardess with a smile.
‘Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. You said these two have permission to be here?’
The stewardess furrowed her eyebrows. ‘Well, I… they said it was an emergency.’
I nodded sympathetically. ‘I see. And you know those two were clearly told to stay in the back of the plane because of disruptive behaviour earlier?’
The flight attendant’s eyes widened. ‘No, I was not informed of that.’
At this point, the flight attendant who had been chatting to Dave and Leah earlier appeared. ‘Is there a problem?’ – She asked, giving the couple a glance around.
Dave’s face went pale. Leah’s hastily-arranged dance came to an abrupt halt.
I stepped aside, leaving it to the professionals to deal with it. ‘I guess those two just flew away,’ I said, unable to contain the smugness in my voice.
The original flight attendant turned to Dave and Leah, her expression stern. ‘I thought I made myself clear. Go back to your seats. Now.’
‘But…’ began Leah, and her statement failed.
‘No buts,’ the stewardess cut her short. ‘Or would you prefer we discuss this with the marshal?’
It was done. Without another word, Dave and Leah sank into their seats in economy class, defeated.
As the plane began its descent into California, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The rest of the flight had gone blessedly smooth and I was more than ready to see my family.
The captain’s voice came over the intercom, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our final approach to Los Angeles International Airport. Please make sure your seats are upright and your seat belts are fastened.’
As we neared the gate, I gathered my belongings, anxious to get off the plane as soon as possible. The flight attendant, who was our saving grace, approached me.
‘Thank you for your patience,’ she said with a genuine smile. ‘We hope you had a comfortable flight despite the…previous unpleasantness.’
I grinned back. ‘Thanks to you, yes. You handled the situation beautifully.’
She glowed at the compliment. ‘Have a good day, sir!’
I stood up, stretching after the long flight. Walking down the aisle, I noticed Dave and Leah, who were still avoiding meeting everyone’s gaze.
For a moment, I felt a prick of sympathy. They were young, perhaps just too excited about their honeymoon. But then I remembered their rude behaviour, and the sympathy evaporated.
As I walked past their row, I couldn’t resist one last parting word. ‘I hope you’ve learnt something today. Enjoy your honeymoon!’
Dave’s face took on an impressive shade of red, but he remained silent. Smart move.
And with those words, I left the plane feeling victorious and ready to enjoy the rest of the trip. As I entered the terminal, I couldn’t help but grin. It had been a heck of a flight, but in the end common decency and a little karma won out.
I saw my wife and kid waiting for me, and their faces lit up when they saw me. All thoughts of Dave and Leah faded away. I was home, and that was all that mattered.