1.
I dashed into the convenience store for water while the attendant filled my car with the necessary fuel. My thirst was at its limit, and I still had, at least, half an hour's drive to the airport. I stood impatiently in the queue to pay for my one bottle of water. The lady in front of me insisted on giving the exact amount required and fiddled with all her coins until she had finally paid. Then she took her merry time putting the leftover coins back into her purse one by one, battling to pick them up with her long nails. The line behind me was getting longer, and as I presumed most of the people had come in while their cars were being filled up, the service station was now congested with unattended vehicles.
Behind me, a young man had his arms filled with goodies and a young boy. The boy was restless and fidgeted with everything on display at the till point that was within his reach, and when he was bored with that he attacked the sunglasses perched on my head. I felt them move and automatically grabbed for them with my free hand and turned around. The child could not have been more than a few years old, not that I was an expert, and the young man must have been in his mid-twenties. He blushed with embarrassment and offered some apologies, at the same time moving the child from within grabbing distance of anything else. I merely smiled, accepted his apology and made idle chatter with the little boy. He had such a mischievous face and the cutest but naughtiest smile – it was easy to tell he was a handful on a good day. Finally, I was able to pay for my water and in doing so, I bade the man and the boy goodbye and dashed back to my car. By the time, I had reached the exit of the service station I had finished the water.
Thanks to a major accident on the highway, which caused a huge traffic jam and thus a very long delay in my travel time, I barely made it to the check-in counter at the airport in time. The result of this inconvenience meant that I got whatever seat was left on the flight and who knows next to who I would land up sitting. I was the last passenger on the flight but in front of me was the man from the convenience store, with the little boy. I realised they would also have been caught up in the traffic jam, but somehow they had managed to get ahead of me. The boy recognised me and smiled as I walked behind them into the plane and walked down the aisle between the rows of seats right to the back. They were seated in the back too as they also kept on walking. My heart sank as I realised they were my companions for the next two hours. That’s what you get when you arrive at the last minute and cannot choose the seat you want! The man smiled at me, probably thinking the same thing. He settled the boy in the middle seat, and he took the window seat. I had hoped he would put the child at the window. I had the aisle seat, and we were in the very last row of the plane.
‘Hi. So we meet again,’ he said when we were finally all strapped in and ready for take-off.
‘Yes, we do. I suppose you also got caught in the traffic on the highway?’
‘That’s why we’re in these seats,’ he smiled as he spoke, ‘my name is Callum, and this little fellow is Logan.’
‘Hello Logan,’ I smiled at him, and his eyes glinted back mischievously.
I turned to Callum, ‘Hi Callum, I’m Skye.’
‘Bet you get teased a lot,’ Callum grinned.
‘You have no idea how much, so please don’t add to it.’
‘Sorry, I can’t promise that.’
I was grateful the flight was only two hours if it meant I would be teased for a name my parents thought I would enjoy having my entire life. I ordered a very expensive bottle of water from the stewardess and Callum placed his order while I was already opening the bottle. Logan reached over me to grab his packet of chips and kindly knocked over the bottle. The water rushed out onto my lap, drenching my jeans and my top. Logan, unperturbed at his clumsiness, ripped open the packet with such force that the chips landed all over the floor. All this happened in a matter of seconds. Callum took the chips away from the screaming child and tried to salvage what he could to appease him and to get him to stop screaming. In the meantime, I tried to dry my clothes with a tissue. I had a very important audition to attend in Durban and what impression would these wet clothes make? I had no others to change into either. I was very annoyed, and it showed all over my face.
‘Logan just stop it and eat your chips,’ Callum pleaded until eventually he bought another packet which shut Logan up.
The stewardess gave me another bottle of water for free and offered me a towel to dry off as much water as possible.
‘I am so sorry,’ Callum apologised to me a good few times, clearly very embarrassed.
‘Logan, tell Skye you are sorry for bumping over her water.’
‘No,’ Logan defiantly replied every time.
‘Please just leave it,’ I said wanting to tell him his child had no manners at all, but I managed to swallow the words.
Callum stared out of the window, and I was grateful for the last thing I wanted to do now was have a conversation with him. Logan kicked his legs non-stop while eating his chips and our chairs got jolted with every kick. It was just not possible for him to sit still. I did not mind an active child, but a child that was cheeky and insolent was not something I easily tolerated. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from reprimanding him.
‘Logan, stop kicking,’ Callum said and put his hand on Logan’s legs to still them.
‘No!’ he screamed and threw his chip packet on the floor, spilling the last few chips that brought on a forced cry and an even louder scream.
Callum picked up the chips and the packet once more while Logan’s screaming continued. I sensed the rest of the passengers were annoyed by now, probably all wondering why this father was unable to control his unruly child. Logan stood up on the seat and began to stomp his feet, jumping up and down in between the stomping. I couldn’t take it anymore.
‘Stop it now!’ I yelled at him with a “do not cross me” expression on my face.
Logan hesitated for a second contemplating how far he thought he might be able to push me and as he lifted his leg to initiate another round of stomping I said very sternly, ‘Sit down now.’
My finger pointed at him almost touching his nose, and my eyes shot spears at him.
‘Callum, naughty aunty,’ he reached over to Callum with his arms and sat in his lap cowering away from me.
‘Sorry about this. I don’t know what to do with kids. He’s my nephew and as you can see he is very spoilt. He was visiting my parents in Cape Town, and I am chaperoning him back to my sister in Westville. As much as I love him, I have never been in his company for longer than a few hours, so I have no idea what to do with him.’
I felt sorry for Callum when I realised he wasn’t the father. He was clearly embarrassed at Logan’s behaviour but at the same time I was annoyed and frustrated, so I accepted his apology and remained silent for the rest of the flight. Logan sat on Callum’s lap and if he so much as moved a muscle he got a glare from me. When the seatbelt sign came on Callum, put him in the seat by the window rather than next to me. He was very intrigued by the sights outside the plane and kept quiet during the landing.
On the way out of the airport, Callum walked past me and said goodbye, apologising again for Logan’s behaviour. I smiled and greeted him back, grateful I would never see either of them again. I had a headache and hoped that the hot Durban weather would dry off my clothes by the time I reached the studio for my audition.