Mother’s Day Tribute

Two women sat down to their seats on an airplane, one by the window, another by the aisle.  The plane started to fill up and they politely nodded to each other.

The one by the window was a woman at her late 50’s, a bit out of shape, but she had eyes sparkled with warmth.  The one in the aisle seat was an Asian, in her late 30s.  From the dark circles under her eyes, one can tell she had a long journey.

“Sorry, can I…” a woman just came into the cabin and asked.

“Sure, sure.” The Asian woman stood up to let her in.

“Thank you, very much.”

The woman sat down in the middle and took off her coat.

“Hello,” she nodded to the woman on her right by the window.

“Hello!” Her neighbor replied and was eager to carry a conversation. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Oh, it was a bit, stressful.” The woman fiddled her ring and replied hesitantly. She was in her 60s and well dressed.  The pearls on her neck shimmered under the dim light.

“Yeah.  Sometimes taking a trip can be rather rough.”

“Not that,” the woman in the middle replied.  “It was a difficult trip.  I was there for my granddaughter.  She… She died, in a car accident.” Her voice quivered. Then she stopped to composed herself, “I am sorry.  I did not mean to make the conversation so gloomy. “

“Do not apologize,” the woman by the window put her hand on her neighbor’s and said. “There is no need to apologize.  I understand.  I am sorry to hear that. Only if you want to talk about it.”

“Thank you.  It is just I cannot imagine how my daughter is going to go through this.  I am the grandma.  But, she is the mother.  It hurts me so much but I know it hurts her even more, losing her only child….”

Meanwhile, the Asian woman in the aisle seat was nervously searching her purse.  Found few facial tissues and offered to the tear-up grandma.  Then, she started to whip her eyes.  When she turned back and wanted to say something, she choked back with more tears.

“Are you all right?” the grieving grandma asked.

“Yes, yes. No.” She muttered. “My child. My son…”

“This is your caption speaking.  We are experiencing some turbulence…”

Then, her voice was lost in the intensified thin air.