Flight

That’s the thing about this city. It might not be that hard: getting off the plane. Saying goodbye to the stewardess. Walking down a corridor, out into the Arrivals Hall, and seeing you.

But this time it was.

I open my eyes and look out the window. Once again, I have dreamed of what it would be like to see you. I would stand before you with outstretched arms, and I would know that you are where I belong.

I lean forward and pick up the bag of nuts that had fallen. I open it slowly. I will enjoy every single second of this new experience. I can feel the soft and, at the same time, hard seat behind my back. I look out the window, and Denmark is out of sight. The only things visible are the clouds that settle like big, soft duvets under the plane. Every now and then I can glimpse something blue, and I can sense that we are flying over the sea.

My family has never been much to travel. They never wanted to go out into the world and experience something, just like me, because they did not think that in the world there could be anything better than Denmark. They kept going to work every day and when it was finally vacation, they went to our cottage. Of course, I was there.

When I was 12, my interest in you began to increase. I had seen lots of movies going on in you. I saw all your sights, all your lights at night and the sound of the busy streets that never went away. In the black cottage by the windy North Sea, it was cozy, but I did not feel that you could feel life. The real life. I liked nature, but it was as if something was missing, and when I was 12, I finally found out. I missed you.

The stewardess comes to me and asks if there is anything I am missing. I say no, and as she walks away, I cannot help but think about how much one must have in seen in the world when one is a flight attendant. You fly around the world. You get off the plane and say goodbye to all the passengers, while you see what all the different parts of the world look like. You discover all the differences, and you see that the world is far bigger than you thought.

I just suddenly hear one of the pilots say something over the speakers. I quickly take off my headphones, but I do not get to hear what he is saying. I think that it probably doesn’t matter and am about to put my headphones back on, but as I look around at the others on the plane, I see their shocked faces. I get restless and scared, and I start to fear that something has happened to the plane. I turn to the side and ask a woman what the pilot just said, but I get no answer. The lady slowly turns her head towards me, but she is not looking at me.

"Towers…!" she says, and I can hear her voice trembling.

The fear is clear in her eyes and I get scared. Now I do not want to know what is wrong. I put my headphones back on and close my eyes.

I'm thinking of you again. I'm trying to forget the other people on the plane. I'm trying to forget the fear in the lady's eyes, so I think of you. You are the only hope I have left, for you are always perfect. Your life, your movements and your spirit are all my driving force. You lead me towards you and the world I want to live in. Your scent, which I have always dreamed of and imagined, is nice, and your energy is like a pump that sets me in motion.

I immerse myself in my thoughts and dream on when I am suddenly awakened by a woman's scream. It shocks me, and this time it is not necessary to take off the headphones, because I can easily hear what the lady is shouting. She gets up and while crying she yells at the stewardess trying to get her to sit down again and relax.

“My husband works there, and something could have happened to him! What happened to him?!"

The woman is crying, and I can see that the stewardess is panicking. The woman keeps crying, but now she does not shout anymore. She is only crying now, but her sob is heartbreaking. I try not to look at her, but it's hard. Every time I look at her, I can feel that something is wrong. I can feel that it is not only her who has been affected by this bad news.

I turn around and look out the window again, and suddenly I feel my mood has gone down, but I quickly push the feeling away. I turn on my music and lean against the window. The window feels cold against my bare cheek and I can feel the feeling of security seeping out of my body. There's something wrong and I can feel that I'm nervous. I close my eyes and fall into a restless daze.

I wake up when I hear the pilot say that the plane has landed, and the passengers must get off the plane. I take my hand luggage and start walking. I count every step I take and I'm excited. The excitement rises the closer to you I come. I can already feel your energy and your life, and suddenly I can feel my steps getting faster. I walk fast and I walk purposefully out into the arrival hall. I want out fast, so I'm looking for the exit, but before I can reach it, I see something that makes me stop abruptly. The sight in front of me is indescribable. Now, all my dreams and expectations I had since I was 12 years old feel like a paradise, and something that could not come true.

I see a man sitting with his cell phone. If you looked at him quickly, you would not think about it further, but if you looked for it, you would be able to see it. He is sitting with his mobile and his movements are calm but, in his eyes, I can see panic. I'm looking at another woman. She is sitting with a small child on her lap. The child smiles and laughs, and the woman laughs along, but her smile is false. Her eyes are not in the smile. I look out the window again and I can see all the smoke rising from the two buildings. I can feel all my perfect dreams break and I feel that something inside me has changed. I surprise myself by not feeling sad or disappointed.

I feel like I'm alive.