When he heard the captain’s remark, a man who had been grumbling about his larger neighbor and requesting for a different seat became pale.
To be honest, I just wanted a quiet flight with no noise or disturbances. Until a woman walked inside the cabin, everything was as usual.
She was obviously different from the other passengers, and not in the way you would anticipate in business class. She appeared larger than the others, not like a VIP traveler, and was dressed comfortably in sports pants and a loose sweatshirt. She was sitting next to — 5B.
It was obvious that the man sitting next to her, who was about fifty years old, well dressed, wearing an expensive suit, and had a confident look, did not like her presence. With a sarcastic sneer, he said:
I apologize, but are you certain that you are in the correct cabin?
Calmly, the woman displayed her boarding pass:
— I do have 5B.
Something along the lines of:
— This must be an error — and politely declined to touch her while sitting down at 5C.
He called the flight attendant a few minutes later:
I apologize; there must have been an error. Is this class truly business? I’m hoping you have additional seats. You know, some of us paid for comfort.
The woman’s gaze dropped. She flushed. Calmly, the flight attendant answered:
The flight is full, sorry. Every seat has been assigned accurately.
He let out an agitated sigh:
Alright.
He was constantly snorting in annoyance during the flight. He said as the woman reached for a water bottle:
— Would you mind not getting on my lap? Remain seated!
“Sorry,” she muttered.
Across from him, I saw an older couple giving him a sour look. Additionally, a teenage male in the aisle began using his phone to record the action. The woman, however, said nothing. did not stand up for herself. didn’t voice any complaints. She simply sat up straight and gazed out the window. I thought she might burst into tears.
The plane entered a turbulence zone around an hour later. Over the internal transmission, the captain said:
— Please buckle up, folks. There may be some turbulence. And I want to tell you something really essential while we’re in the air.
Everyone turned pale when the captain said this next:
We have a special guest flying with us today in business class, and I would like to greet them.
Some of the passengers looked up at each other. including that man, hoping, perhaps, that it was about him out of curiosity.
Dr. Evelyn Carson, a medical Nobel laureate who has saved thousands of lives throughout war and epidemics, is flying with us today. Dr. Carson, we are honored that you choose our flight.
The “important” man suddenly looked down.
In response to the announcement, the woman behind him gave a little nod, and I observed the flight attendant discreetly presenting a small card bearing the airline’s signature and symbol.
Nobody else dared to speak. Not even a murmur.
And I came to the conclusion that a person’s life style, not the brand of their suit, is what best adorns them.
