Close Call

 We’ve all heard the old saying that ” It’s always Greener on the other Side ”; everyone keeps secretly wishing with envy to acquire somebody else’s perceived comfortable situation where supposedly a better life is upheld. It always seems somebody else is enjoying a more exciting, tranquil, accessible accommodating and suitable social status, but unfortunately all of these opportunistic venues will never guarantee any valid humanist protection, long-term security nor any such peace of mind.

 With no absolute exception, everything has always been and will always be vulnerable and possesses a limiting longevity. Restless inevitable Human behaviours will be affecting towards the continuous form of destruction or renovation until it reaches its’final extinction. Whether we are some of those hopeful members of society can assume to one day acquire a harmonious future; it will only be dream that’s beyond our reach when our hidden destructive instincts emerge in a vengeance without having the ability of any possible retractions.

 It doesn’t really matter whether it’s anonymity or popularity, both of these situations can be either considered a great scorn or a simple blessing in how the manner each person conducts themselves in order to earn some respect as a separate individual.

 In parts of being a guitarist and half of a female singing (heterosexual) duo, during our early days as performers; it was never for easy no matter how much we worked hard. We had called ourselves: The Hydra Pair. The type of musical entertainment that we were providing was Pop, and Rhythm & Blues . Often, we had to overcome and face with various forms of discriminations. Sexism, ageism, condescensions, orientation, affluence, political stature, creed and perceptions were all of the many hardships which we were wrongfully judged upon as entertainers. We had to also live through among the rough dealings of unruly and unwanted criticisms from thoughtless people who had simply refused me the time of day.

 Once we had overcame the numerous obstacles to arrive where we were found, presently; we had realized that most the unnecessary practices from these unwelcoming parties had utterly waisted a lot of my weal-meant efficient time where & when we could have made a lot more progress during these lost moments. Sadly, these idiots’ actions have completely outnumbered the few ordeals which were worth while overpowering in order to get ahead.

 Well, the feeling of accomplishment had finally arrived and sunk into us emotionally as well as celebrally; somehow, we were never able to leave behind my many different personal insecurities such as they are. Confusingly, they had still remained in both of us as if they were a predisposition. Well, constantly being on the road, it didn’t become as glamorous we both had anticipated. Family members and close friends are being often missed during the holiday seasons because of our busy schedule. There were always an event to perform for or an agonizing public appearance where sometimes we were never physically up to these tasks, yet all of our obligations were being financial constrained where they were consistently pushed on us, hard. Each of our emotionally constitutions were quickly draining and headed to an exhausting toll. We were compelled to uphold a physical extent towards keeping our public reputations and remaining high on the music charts.

 Despite enjoying the admirations from many devoted fans; standing in centre of attention makes one vulnerable target for those who would sadistically revel in trying to reputably tear us down for simple reason in stroking their own precious egos of nonentity. As well others who possess more malicious intentions where their ulterior motives are to take financial advantage of us.

 There’s absolute of point of return when the moment that popularity arises, it will mediately nullify the entire aspect of anonymity and one’s identity now and forever belongs to the public as commercial property. Facial smiles become a full exasperation when exhaustion sets in as it’s one of the unspoken celebrity rules to restrain internal turmoil from being unexpected publicly revealed. Keeping outward positive impressions is an essential behaviour to retain one’s continuous popularity. It’s very stressful when one’s cheek muscles begin to result in facial pain while upholding a phony smile, all day for simply someone else’s contentment. When the strain of public pressure settles in, it’s also becomes a constant annoyance and chore that could eventually affect one’s physical health.

 The respites which were once granted as options were now became luxuries and rare to take in order to be physical fit and alert to perform. Both of us had each our private hotel room; the reason for these separate accommodations, we were finding ourselves with creative differences and at times, there became the inability to tolerate one another ‘s presence.

 Show business had always introduced the wide and most dangerous temptation of illegal narcotics to get involved with. Extended durability is to be expected for someone in the public eye where false appearances must be shown in order to either disappoint or perhaps accidentally letting one’s guard down when one’s less expected to do so if a point of weakness can be unruly, perceived. Once these substances dominates someone’s personae; depending how responsible the individual is; misconduct can be easily construed as abuse and carelessness which become bad examples and poor role models. Once, this unruly behaviour become prevalent: it can either make or ruin a decent career where it can quickly decline with no recovery in sight.

 Unrestricted positivity must be affirmed long enough when one’s most enviable fans’ expectations are emptily met. When protection is needed from the wrong nefarious and jealous parties; cloak & dagger behaviours and procedures will be definitely follow and certainly when fame & fortune take over one’s life. One’s name becomes more fragile to destroy by trying to retain their accumulated reputation and status. This delicate procedure has to clearly measure up to what the media releases which are being circular to all daily readers.

 Our next tour was to begin overseas by taking a flight circuit to promote a new album around various foreign cities. After being well-rested and once the album recordings had been finalized; all of the needed preparations and strict scheduling were to be set in motion.

 Our extremely early arrival at the airport had been at 2am; all of the wardrobe suitcases, packaged instruments and the precise head-count of all band members and manager had all been well-accounted for to be boarded before take off. Still, both of us were quite groggy and trying hard to hold on to the remote awareness that we had; our flight would be a great opportunity to fully rest before our first performance of the tour.

 Just only 20 minutes into the flight’s horizontal hold; something strange was begin to happen when the plane began to roughly shake. I was then thinking that it was too early in our journey and flying way too low to ever encounter any usual weather wind turbulence because the beginning of the flight duration had been a lot less than hour. Moments later, the road manager had found that the airline pilot had taken an unexpected heart attack and lost control of the plane. With the limited assistance of his inexperienced co-pilot, he had a lot of difficulty manoeuvring the plane from its’swift downward spiral.

 Like the arrival of a surprise locust attack coming revered down from the fable gods, an outright panic had spread throughout the entire plane; my musical partner had been startled at that crucial moment when it seemed that we were the only ones to able in calmly keeping, together. Being both of us were still quite lethargic from our interrupted rest; somehow neither one of us had any emotional room for any active hysteria at that time. Flouncing around in an agitated airborne vessel like a rag-doll became quite challenging. We were able to immediately confirm this critical situation and attempt to reduce the level of the energetic mayhem by sparring off any falling objects coming down from the upper compartments as well to help those who were getting hurt by the hurling baggage.

 Soon after our faulty flight was in a hurtling dive to the ground, the plane had also been caught in some kind powerful wind-resistance where it had been able to push up the nose to a horizontal level. Everyone began to sense and hear the bottom of the plane shearing off the tops of trees. Yet, also we all had noticed that we could feel the floor of the plane underneath our feet was beginning to heat up quickly and smoke was slowly emerging from the bottom. The plane’s underside began to grind against the forest’s top foliage layer where it was causing a heated friction with the trees. To make matters worse, sparks had begun to drastically emit and various areas of small fires had begun to come up through the piercing weaknesses of the floor. Everyone on the plane was jumping and standing on top the seats to prevent their soles from being scorched.

 Neither one had suffered long before each of their passing. Amidst another tragic event was occurring, the entire plane was now found in utter despair when the cockpit members had lost complete control of their vessel when it began to quickly slope downwards on a ten-degree angle. The unrestrained plane had brutally sheared off and mowed down the tops of a large array of trees when it finally arrived to a collapsing end on the ground. Fortunately, all of the foliage has cushioned the slamming affect upon this forced emergency landing; otherwise the tragedy would have resulted in a lot worse state than anticipated where no one could have ever survived the collision.

 Personally being quite bewildered, dishevelled and lost while walking in the dark and also trying hard to avoid to be asphyxiated by the suffocating smoke inhalation in the surrounding area. I had utterly no idea what was out there that could possibly harm me. While attempting climb over debris and out of reach of a flash light which was becoming frightening as well as irritating. I had no idea about anyone else’s current state; I had to swiftly find out who had survived, who was seriously hurt and who died. In shock, my mind was irrevocably racing with panic to discover the final results of others. Through the unforgiving darkness, agonizing helplessness was raging when I could hear screams, moans and cries for help, but I was presently unable to see anything, let alone get a hold of someone else to find out what were their cases had been discovered in.

 Awkwardly, I found myself trampling outside the crash area in the damp grassland. All I could see is a lot of dispersing smoke being blown in the scattering wind and some brief fires being displayed in various areas of the accident. The stabbing forestry cold had been merciless and my feet had gotten quickly soaked when I had stepped in the grass. My body had scratched up various places during this difficult romp. My entire body had become sore and bruised by by sharp foreign and skidded objects. Nothing was ever been enough to sustain me from the threat of the heat or the stabbing ice chills.

 My first thought had been to find a manner to acquire any survival gear that could be retrieved from the wreckage. The cockpit had been smashed into beyond recognition. I had discovered that the pilot had died immediately of his heart attack and his co-pilot had quickly died upon the brutal impact of the crash.

 Like a wild banshee, I was savagely rummaging through the plane emergency supplies and First-Aid kits, luckily I had found a box of some fresh wooden matches and a bourbon bottle with the top, broken off. I was able to gather some crude materials to create a torch-like device; so I vaguely remember braking off a damaged armrest, poured some liquor on one end and set it ablaze.

 With the very little light that I had to venture with; I had to return to the wreck and see who I can find who had hope to be remain alive. Initially, I had seen two background band members who were flailing around and I had quickly sent them out in the forest to safely steer themselves away any further dangers. Thankfully, I had found my partner still barely breathing and curbed up in a ball. She had upper back damaged with a broken left leg. I had given her my torch to hold onto while I was attempting to lift her out of her cramped space and drag her injured body to safety and prevent in further extending her pain.

 So far, four of us had barely survived from of this airline mishap, we all waited from a safe distance for the flames to be eventually doused out by the cold rain. Since my partner was unable to physically move; it was up to the three of us to assess the remains by the light of dawn in this wide deserted forest. The two band members went ahead of him while I tried to make my partner’s painful state as comfortable as I could. I was able to create a make-shift splint for her leg from broken seats and careful lie her on some soft brush to cushion her dilapidated upper backside.

 Within about an hour’s absence, the two surviving band members were returning towards our ready-made camp site and fire. Their distressed facial expressions and mentioned to us that they had fully scoured and searched the smouldering wreck; they could not find anyone else that had survived. They either had quickly died of smoke inhalation, serious wounds or instantly on impact. With the band equipment and luggage completely obliterated; they were only able to find two fairly singed blankets.

 With only the clothes on our back, we were trying to recuperate from this tragedy as as well many thoughts were being crucially being discussed. Does civilization know that we didn’t leave the continent when we crashed? Would there a ’ Black Box ’ to be recovered? With the limiting surviving skills and provisions which all of us had, how would we be able to survive? Would there be an investigation to follow? How long are we stranded here until the worse occurrences happens to all of us if we aren’t found in time? Does anyone else out there going to actually care?

 With my partner being utterly helpless, I was going to stay and care for her as other two went out to search for further forestry provisions and see if they could be able to retrieve the ’ Black Box ’ for protective measures. AS the brittle cold was showing us absolutely no pity, I had to simultaneously look out for her, increase the size of our fire to possibly create a distress signal without accidentally setting the rest of the landscape, ablaze.

 With a lot of the gloomy time upon our hands, we could only sit, wait for for help and try to keep somehow productively busy and warm. I had decided to begin writing with a small notepad and pen that I held in my zipped vest pocket. As I was taking various types of notes and thinking of composing another song; my partner had kept speaking to me The surrounding circumstances of our entire ordeal had her ponder about how she used to appreciate her privacy and freedoms which we both had before ever becoming famous. We had the luxuries to behave like ourselves and accompanied with very little consequences; also to go anywhere we wanted without being continuously harassed.

 Several hours which went by, our two survivalist companions with a little bit of provisions and the burned out, damaged ’ Black Box ’ that he had carefully, yet forcibly pried out of the wreckage. Then questions were arising: Where do we go from here? How do we reach any civilisation for help? With our limited food supply and no forms of communications in our possessions; we had no manner of contacting the outside world. Nobody had any idea what had lied ahead towards our fates. Meanwhile, we had to be contented with our large smoke-filled camp fire in hopes that it will send off a distress signal to any of the passing pilots.

 On our third afternoon of our stranded isolation, somehow our unusual primitively-made wild blaze had drawn some strict and negative attention from the Forestry and Law Enforcement officials. Fortunately, a random hope was in sight. This rescue were an infirmary and police helicopters circulating around our vicinity, yet they couldn’t find any flat areas to land, so ropes and a military gurney were dropped above us. My partner had to be carefully strewn up first and the remaining three were tied and pulled up into the cabs.

 By the time our arrival to the nearest hospital, my partner and I had decided that we no longer wanted to publicly perform, again. For reasons that Popularity is a very tantalizing, yet quite dangerous human appeal where it will definitely trumps one’s anonymity as well to irreversibly erase it. There’s a permissiveness price to be paid as one is granted to various questionable venues and hob-knob with the higher-ups where they could possibly in further assist one’s ambitions. Yet in the long run, it’s not always worth it because others’ expectancies are often and wrongfully publicly, anticipated and falsely perceived.

 With the public’s very limiting attention span, it isn’t not so bad to live an anonymous life where one’s privacy can be attained without exposure and any misbehaviour is swiftly forgotten because it never holds any literary value in the media or the press. Since neither one of us had been wanting for anything, otherwise we were simply just pleased being creative in our lives.