Chapter Fifteen #2
‘Another world, hey,’ Zara echoed softly, her thoughts drifting to the journey ahead, each destination a harbour for her wandering soul. ‘Sounds wonderful to me.’
‘Yes, and seeing as it’s your very first time on Czech soil, and we haven’t had a flight together in forever, let’s make it a trip to remember,’ Suzanne suggested, her voice a rolling tide pulling Zara back to the present.
‘Oh, yes, absolutely!’ Zara agreed wholeheartedly. ‘I’ve missed discovering far-reaching places with you, Suz.’
‘My partner in crime, back in full form and ready to do the time with me,’ Suzanne added with a snort-filled giggle, cracking Zara up.
Their laughter mingled with the clink of coffee cups and the murmur of other café patrons, a symphony of everyday life against which their extraordinary friendship played a beautiful counterpoint.
And as they enjoyed their second round of coffees and shared more hopes for their upcoming flight to Prague, Zara was reminded once again that sometimes the most remarkable journeys were taken not on wings of metal, but on those of love and friendship.
* * *
Two days later, the cabin of the aircraft hummed in a subtle undercurrent to Zara’s quickened heartbeat.
The soft glow of the lights on the overhead compartments cast an amber hue on her rhythmic footsteps, while a mix of excitement and nervousness flickered in her eyes.
The distinct scent of recycled air and leather seats enveloped her as she wandered the empty aisles, making sure everything was shipshape, the comfortingly familiar aromas mingling with the lingering traces of her own delicate floral perfume.
‘Welcome aboard, Mrs Maverick, it’s been a while,’ she murmured to herself, as her gaze swept across the rows of empty seats awaiting their passengers.
The international flight felt like a vessel not just through the skies but also through time, bridging the gap between the frantic routine of her daily life and the promise of familial warmth upon her return.
With practised precision, she went back to the galley and stowed her luggage neatly in the crew compartment.
Each item had its designated place, much like each thought that floated through her mind — a set of responsibilities and dreams, and the unyielding pull of wanderlust that both anchored and lifted her spirit.
‘Zara! I finally made it!’ Suzanne’s vibrant voice and quickened footsteps cut through the quiet. ‘The traffic was horrendous. Thank goodness I finally found a park close by.’
‘Pfft, tell me about it.’ Zara rolled her eyes. ‘The roadworks never seem to end, hey.’
‘I swear they just keep on fixing the same part of the highway.’ Suzanne flapped a hand through the air. ‘Anyways, I’m here.’ She plonked her luggage in beside Zara’s. ‘Are you ready for your very first overseas take-off since becoming a mum?’
‘I feel bad in saying so, because my mum hat keeps wanting to slip back on, but heck yes.’ Zara did a little jiggle on the spot.
‘Just think about all the wonderful adventures you’ll be able to tell the girls about when you get back home.’ Suzanne placed a comforting hand on her arm. ‘And that’s way better than any bedtime story.’
Zara smiled and they shared a knowing look. The anticipation of shared work above the clouds — where the world shrank to the size of an airplane cabin and their camaraderie expanded to fill every space within it — was one only airline staff would truly comprehend.
A voice crackled through the speakers, alerting them to the incoming business-class passengers. ‘Best get to work, instead of standing around chatting all day long.’ Suzanne leant in and pecked her cheek. ‘I’m so happy to be working with you again.’
‘Ditto,’ Zara replied as they took their posts at the cabin doorway.
Once all passengers were safely on board and strapped into their seats, as the engines roared to life, Zara and Suzanne secured themselves as the Boeing 747 began its slow crawl down the runway.
Full throttle, it lifted up and into the sky, suddenly weightless, soaring, free.
Smiling to herself, Zara glanced out the small oval window, watching as the tarmac became a blur and Brisbane slipped away beneath them.
And her heart lifted even more as they broke through the blanket of clouds.
‘So, serious question.’ Suzanne nudged Zara from her thoughts. ‘Do you think they’ll go for the chicken à l’orange or the garlic prawn pasta today?’ she joked, her laughter light and effervescent, bubbling up amid the gravity of take-off.
‘My bet is the posh nosh chicken,’ Zara wagered, playing along with the age-old inflight gamble. ‘Always bet on the chicken.’
Suzanne pulled an expression that hollered her agreement.
After the seatbelt light flicked off, they rose and moved down the aisle, offering reassuring smiles in the intricate dance they’d performed countless times together.
With each gentle tilt of the plane, more of the Australian coastline disappeared beneath the steel wings until they were left soaring high above the ocean.
And as the plane reached cruising altitude, its steady heartbeat flush against the sky, Zara and Suzanne prepared to tend to the needs of those entrusted to their care.
It was only a few hours in when the tranquillity of the cabin was abruptly shattered as the aircraft jolted in a sudden and savage shake that sent cups clattering and whispers of panic through the aisles.
Her eyes darting left to right, Zara watched her passengers’ knuckles whiten against the armrests, their collective breaths held in a cloud of fear.
She quickly exchanged a concerned glance with Suzanne.
‘Attention, passengers, it’s your captain speaking.
Sorry about the bumps but we are experiencing unexpected weather conditions,’ came the announcement, the captain’s voice a thread of control spun across the cabin.
‘Our priority is your safety, so please stay seated with your seatbelts securely fastened. We will update you again shortly.’
Although she was shaken, too, Zara made sure she remained a picture of serenity as she and Suzanne moved down each of the aisles with practised grace.
‘Please remain calm, everyone.’ Her voice cut through the fog of anxiety like a lighthouse beam.
‘Is everyone okay?’ she asked, her eyes meeting each passenger’s concerned gaze with an unspoken promise of safety.
Nods and murmured replies met her.
‘Take deep breaths, the captain has got everything under control,’ she reassured an elderly woman who clutched at her pearls as if they were a lifeline back to solid ground.
‘Thank you, my dear,’ the woman whispered, her blue-grey eyes reflecting the storm outside.
‘Suz, how are you holding up?’ Zara inquired over the din of anxious murmurs as soon as she’d closed the gap between them.
Suzanne exuded a trained, focused calm. ‘I’m okay,’ she replied with a smile before she gave Zara’s arm a reassuring squeeze then turned to help a young man secure his belongings. ‘Just another day at the office, right?’ she added once she straightened back to Zara’s side.
‘Right,’ Zara echoed with a nod.
The speakers crackled to life again. ‘All passengers remain in your seats with seatbelts fastened. And all crew immediately to their seats please.’ The captain’s voice was steady, but Zara’s honed air-hostess ears heard the miniscule tremor.
Buckling in for the bumpy ride ahead, she and Suzanne remained side by side as partners in this aerial ballet.
After a few more belly-turning jolts the plane steadied momentarily.
However, it was a prelude to another bout of turbulence.
Zara’s grip on her armrest tightened. This didn’t feel good.
Not at all. Instinctively, she clutched Suzanne’s hand as she tried to take calming breaths.
But, in the blink of an eye, the world inside the cabin was shattered as a violent shudder ripped through the plane’s cold hard steel.
The overhead compartments, once secure and orderly, betrayed their latches and disgorged a chaotic torrent of belongings that tumbled and twirled in the turbulent air, adding to the cacophony already filling the space.
Amid the roar of engines and howling wind, blood-curdling screams pierced the chaos.
Zara’s heart thumped like boxer’s fists against her chest, each beat a drumroll in the symphony of fear that crescendoed around her.
Oh, God, please let us all make it home alive …
As she and Suzanne tightened their grip on each other’s hands, her fingers turned white.
A little girl fell into the aisle and her mother screamed.
Without a second’s thought for her own safety, Suzanne was unbuckled and on her feet, rushing to their aid.
Zara was helpless to stop her. Then, as if in slow motion, the plane lurched violently and Suzanne, mid-stride in the narrow aisle, was flung like a marionette with its strings cut loose by an unseen puppeteer.
Zara cried out but her voice was swallowed by a deafening boom that reverberated through the aircraft’s metal bones as she horrifically watched Suzanne collide with the unforgiving floor.
Her bright green eyes briefly met Zara’s right before being obscured by passengers bracing for impact.
I have to get to her …