Once upon a time, in a packed airplane soaring through the skies, I found myself stuck in the dreaded middle seat. To my left was a chatty octogenarian who insisted on sharing the story of his life with breath like the bottom of a parrot’s cage, while to my right was a toddler with a penchant for kicking. As we settled in, a silent battle ensued over the armrests.
The octogenarian, with a surprisingly strong grip for his age, claimed the left armrest, declaring, “Experience trumps youth, my dear!” On the other side, the toddler had already commandeered the right armrest, using it as a drum to entertain himself, much to the dismay of the passengers nearby.
As the flight progressed, the drawbacks of the middle seat became increasingly apparent. Every time the toddler’s mother tried to calm him down, her elbow would inadvertently invade my personal space, turning me into an unwitting armrest for her. Meanwhile, the octogenarian’s stories seemed to get longer and more elaborate with each passing minute, leaving me with no choice but to nod along in feigned interest, making a mental note to make him a character in my book, whenever I got around to writing THAT!
However, amidst the chaos of the middle seat, there were unexpected advantages. The octogenarian, despite his talkative nature, shared some fascinating anecdotes that kept me entertained and momentarily distracted from the discomfort. The toddler, in his moments of calm, would flash an adorable smile that melted even the grumpiest of passengers’ hearts. I’ve always maintained that kids are cute as long as they are someone else’s. I may not have enjoyed his screaming when the ears started popping due to the air pressure, but I did enjoy playing a game of peekaboo and making faces, trying to elicit a gurgle of laughter, while his mother looked gratefully as she tried to relax a bit. I’m just glad she didn’t start giving out a ‘care package’ to other passengers around us. People think that’s being considerate but I strongly feel one doesn’t need to apologise for the little travellers.
As the flight finally landed and we disembarked, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the middle seat experience. Promising myself to check in online next time instead of leaving it to fate and a sullen lady at the airline counter to assign me a seat, I unbuckled my seatbelt and rose to stretch.
Despite the armrest wars and constant jostling, it had been a journey filled with unexpected connections and a reminder that sometimes, the most memorable adventures happen in the most cramped of spaces.
𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐮𝐫'𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 