The Door in the Sky

The pilot's voice came over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We’re just about ready to depart. Please make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened, and your seat is in the upright position."

There was a girl in seat 25B clutching her armrests with vigor. Sweat was pooling behind her neck, swishing around in the chilling flutter of the airplane's AC vent. She licked her already too chapped lips and surveyed the seats around her.

To her left, she watched as a mother gently soothed her toddler’s wild hair, whispering comforting words to him as he lay in her lap. She felt a pang in her heart at the sight.

All around her there were people at different stages of their life, yet a low hum of the atmosphere made it feel like everyone's life was connected in a special way.

Directly to the girl’s left was an old man curled up against the window, his eyes shut peacefully, and his face crinkled in smile lines.

The plane took off, and her lips started quivering.

After half an hour of flying, her nerves started to calm down a bit. But every jostle of the plane sent her muscles right back into the tightened bunch that they were. A bout of turbulence rocked the plane so hard that the stranger next to her woke up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and smiled warmly at the girl. She didn’t notice right away as she was caught up in swearing under her breath.

“Are you nervous?” His voice spilled out around her like a stream cascading down a rocky path.

“What gave it away?” She laughed ruefully. He chuckled quietly.

“What is your name, child?” She didn’t feel insulted by him calling her child, in fact she felt almost comforted by it, her eyes wandered to the mother next to her, yearning pushing through the edges of her vision.

“Lenore, my name is Lenore.” Lenore’s voice was trembling slightly, her eyes watering.

“Lenore? What a beautiful name,” the old man leaned back and gazed at her wistfully. “Tell me Lenore, what is making you so overcome with emotion? Surely, you’ve flown before.”

Surprise flickered across Lenore’s face.

“How could you possibly tell I wasn’t upset because of the turbulence? How could you know that?” Intrigue was racing through her heart, all while the old man continued to smile at her with tenderness.

“Now that would ruin the mystery if I told you, wouldn’t it?” He winked at Lenore and paused before he continued. “What is troubling you, my child?”

Lenore bit her lip and looked away, trying to force down the tears starting to well in her eyes. The toddler in the seat next to her was deep asleep and yet he reached for his mother’s arms to be held. She choked on her words as she tried to speak, “I’m scared. I can’t- I can’t speak about it.” Lenore shoved a fist in her mouth biting down so she could stop the sob from wracking her body.

“My dear, whatever it is, you will rise above it,” He held his hands out to Lenore, silently asking her to hold on to him. “May I show you something?” She eyed his hands warily, still biting her lip to keep it from quivering. The kind old man continued to offer her his hands, patiently waiting for her to accept them. Something in his eyes told her she could trust him, and she slipped her hands into his.

A smile bloomed across his face. “Wonderful Lenore. I’d wish to share something with you, this is a once in a lifetime experience, but I’ll need your explicit trust. Do you trust me, Lenore?”

She faltered a little, she wasn’t sure who this man was, or what he could possibly show her in an airplane 35,000 feet from the ground. Yet, a deep tug inside her told her she could trust this man, and she found herself feeling hope for the first time in a long time.

“I trust you.”

Suddenly, the aisle expanded, and the window grew to the size of a door. He tugged her upwards and without looking away from her eyes, he stepped through the window. It glimmered and rippled like an ocean as it sucked him into the outside world. A gasp escaped her lips as she was pulled toward the window. Her hands vanished past the glass, fear coiling in her spine. It was insane, but she trusted him. She knew she would be safe, yet she squeezed her eyes shut just in case.

A soft schlock echoed as she slipped through. She wasn’t falling. Lenore opened her eyes.

Wonder gripped her. They were standing on the wing of the airplane! She dropped his hands, scrubbing her eyes – but the vision didn’t change. Wide eyed, Lenore grasped the old man, “How is this possible!”

He remained silent as she drank in the view. The sky melted from orange to blush pink, wisps of lavender curling lazily above. Fluffy periwinkle clouds rose around them, and a hush blanketed the world. Time seemed to stand still as Lenore’s gaze lingered upon majesty.

“H-how?” Again, she asked, stunned with amazement. He continued to say nothing but smile. The old man walked out further onto the wing tip, plopping his soft body on the edge of the wing. He beckoned for her to join him. Nerves crawled into her bones, could she really move without his help? She wavered, then shook off the doubt. I can do this. I need to do this.

But Lenore didn’t walk. Instead, she let her fear, her anxiousness and her nerves melt away as she lunged forward. Gleefully running towards him, down the length of the plane’s wing. Her breath was full of laughter as she finally reached him and settled down next to him.

“I haven’t felt this free in a long time,” a smile that took over her entire face beamed up at the senior.

“I am so proud of you, Lenore.” He took her hand into his again and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Breathe it in, take in the majesty of this world. And when you are ready, I am here to listen to your troubles.” The smile fell from her face. Her troubles? How had she forgotten them so quickly? No, rather she forgot them eagerly.

“You are so kind, I do not think I could bring myself to burden you with my troubles sir.” She looked away from him, a soft breeze catching her hair and playing with it gently.

“My dear, would I be on the edge of an airplane if I could not lend my ear to someone in need?”

She cast him a sidelong glance, “Well, I suppose not. I guess, it’s still too hard to talk about.”

“Lenore, look at you right now. You are 35,000 feet in the air with an old man you just met. You showed fear but then pushed on ahead anyway. It takes a strong woman to be where you are now.”

Something about his last sentence made Lenore think he wasn’t referring to their dangling position on the wing. Could he already know?

“Elenore?” His calm voice edged its way into my thoughts. Lenore’s head snapped up. How did he know her full name? “How about we start at an easier part. Where are you coming from?”

“My parent’s house, I’ve been living off of them for the past 6 months.”

“You mean they were taking care of you?”

“Well, yes. I lost my job, and I couldn’t support myself. I couldn’t even make myself eat while I was there. I feel so guilty, my parents had to teach me how to live again. I hate that I put them in that spot.”

“But they are your family, dear. That’s what they’re there for. Surely, they understood your pain.” He patted her shoulder with a kind smile. His tone was low, “Keep going, you’re doing so well.”

“My son,” Lenore paused to smear her snot onto her sleeve, but really it was to cover up the choke rising in her throat, “I lost my son, he was three.”

The old man stopped her for a second and pulled her into a hug, quietly shushing her. “How did you lose him?”

Lenore swallowed hard. One word escaped: “Leukemia.”

He stroked her hair lovingly, “So then why are you leaving your parents?”

“I can’t keep being their burden. I needed to leave so they could have their peace back. But I am so scared to do this alone, I don’t know if I can.” She broke off.

“Lenore, do you know why I brought you out here?” He gestured to the shimmering sky; she shook her head no. “To show you that you can. You trusted an absolute stranger and didn’t hesitate as he led you outside the window of an airplane. And then you walked, no ran, all on your own, along the length of the wing to sit on the edge with me. But that isn’t the bravest part yet. You opened your heart to me and let me see your vulnerability. That takes true strength. Lenore, never let yourself believe for one second that you cannot. Because here you are, living! Doing what you thought you never would. And you’ve done so well. I am so proud of you, my child.”

Tears streamed down Lenore’s face as she trembled under his all-knowing gaze. And then she was unabashedly clinging onto him and sobbing. Hope clawed its way back into her heart. He was right – she could do this. This stranger had given her a precious gift: a reason to live.

He rose, pulling Lenore up with him, “It is time to go.”

He led her back through the window, into their seats.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now beginning our descent. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing,” the booming voice of the pilot came over the intercom. Lenore jerked awake in her seat, her head was groggy, but her heart felt light. She looked next to her to thank the man, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Miss?” Lenore called out to the lady next to her. “Where is the old man?”

“What old man, honey?” The mother looked at her with confusion.

Lenore turned back to the window, and for a fleeting moment, she swore she saw footprints fading into the clouds.