It was the breast of times, it was the worst of times.
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I strap into my seat aboard a flight from Kumasi to Accra, groaning a little inwardly. I’ve accepted I will always be the passenger next to the parent with the fretful baby. It looks like this journey will be no different. The aircraft is small, so even though a space separates us, we’re still very close.
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The child is angsty. He slides off his mother and practically lands under the seat in front. He bumps his head, and proceeds to give us an earful of his powerful lungs. I summon every bit of my earth motherliness and flash a sympathetic smile at the mum in an I’ve-been-there-before sort of way. Though of course, I haven’t quite yet. She hauls him up with one hand, while simultaneously opening the top buttons on her shirt with the other. An instant later, she releases a breast and the child latches on to it enthusiastically.
It is at this moment that an air host approaches. He is holding an extension seat belt meant for passengers with infants. He walks toward our nursing mother. A beat passes before his face registers what is going on. Time stills. It’s a rather delicate moment to do this…
He is the one I smiled at earlier when I boarded the plane. At the time he’d returned my smile with a shy one of his own. Now, he stops by the mother’s seat, looking painfully awkward. The child, sensing his presence, has stopped suckling and is clenching and unclenching distractedly at his mother’s breast. As babies do. The mother, meanwhile, is oblivious to these recent developments. She has her eyes closed while the host hovers uncertainly by.
Our man looks a little lost. I prod the woman gently, and she opens her eyes and flashes a warm smile at the air host. Unperturbed, she shuffles about in her seat as he straps them both in. The entire process happens with one breast out and doing the odd jiggle here and there. I think the air host is about to expire with discomfort. When he straightens up, our eyes meet briefly, and I flash him one of my meaningful smiles. This one says, you’ve-been-booby-trapped.
Later as we disembark, he is standing by the door smiling his shy smile again. Obviously, I don’t want to milk it – ahem – but I can’t help ignoring his other colleague as I say a cheerful parting greeting to him. Why not? We’re practically bosom buddies now!
Have you ever had a randomly memorable moment on a flight? Share with me in the comments…
First of all you described this PERFECTLY!! I imagined everything looool.
As for your question, a random but memorable moment on a flight was when I was going to Berlin. I was on the aisle seat on the left side of the plane, whilst my friend was in front of me also, on the aisle seat. On her right, on the aisle seat was a woman and she was going through her phone. Her brightness was high and she was scrolling through her nudes, yes I saw it all and I nudged my friend to let her know what I’m seeing and yeah that was a funny memory *awkwardly laughs*
Thanks Ricardo! And wow, looks like you had to deal with a different kind of naked truth on your flight to Berlin 🤣
Hahahahaha. The breast of it all.
You know it 😂
Haaha this is actually hilarious. You’re a great story teller Davida. You had me hooked!
Elle
http://www.ellemacuk.com
Thanks, Elle, I’m so glad to hear that!
How awks!!! Lol I’ve tended to be in trouble on the plane rather than booby trapped!
What trouble have you been getting yourself into, young lady?! 😂
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