My seat number was 22C. Way in the back of the plane. A few seats away from the restrooms and rear food prep area. Seat "C" meant I was on the aisle. Quite late in the boarding procedure, along came my seatmates. A boy and girl, sister and brother, (traveling alone) girl - 6 and boy - 8 years old, first grade and third grade. Morgan and Jacob. Morgan took the window seat and Jacob sat next to me. He had a cold and used kleenex often, but he didn't sneeze or cough. He didn't talk as much as his sister - I think because he felt "under the weather". But she was a little chatterbox.
However, when they first appeared in the aisle next to my seat, she was weepy and said she wanted her daddy. I told them that I would be their grandmother for the time we were together on the plane. I later discovered that they had spent 6 weeks with their Dad in the Phoenix area and were now going home to Mama, in the Detroit area. They were longing to see her. My heart was breaking for these two little ones. I am so glad that Papa Dios (as Nelly calls Him) has a special place in His heart for widows and orphans. I believe these two moppets fit that description and are under the shelter of His everlasting wings.
We proceeded to get acquainted. I asked how old they were. Then they asked how old I was. I bent my head down and told them it was a secret and whispered the number to them. Morgan's response was "you look much older than that". Did she think that was a compliment ?????????? They told me about their grandmother. First she was 83, then she was 94. I am doubtful they have any concept of what those numbers mean.
A LITTLE NOTE: when I was in school, I thought all the teachers were old. Probably because they were a lot older than me. I know I thought if a man was bald, he must be old (even if he was just 29). 29 years old was old, old, old to me. The nuns that taught in my school all wore wimples and veils plus long medieval robes. I though they were all old, old, old. They could have been barely out of their teens because girls entered the convent right out of high school. Their hair was covered (though I always wished I could see it) making it that much more difficult to ascertain age and I probably would have drawn the wrong conclusion anyway.
Since, I had a secret to share, Morgan wanted to share a secret she had. She bent down over her back pack and took out two white rag dolls (exactly the same). They were small, about 8-9" tall and very primitive looking. A little soiled too. She told me they were very old as she had them since she was born and they were very precious to her. She lost one once and was very sad. Then she said the doorbell rang and when they answered it no one was there, but her dolly was. She said it was an angel who rang the bell and left her dolly on the doorstep.
When we were getting ready for takeoff and the plane began to speed up, I told them that this is the part I like best. I love when we go so fast that we get airborne. Morgan said she liked this part best too because she was getting nearer to heaven where God is. (someone is planting good seeds in these children). I said to her "you can also have Him real close to you, right in your heart". They both shook their heads up and down. (yes, we know that). I then told them that when we separated after this plane trip ended, that we would meet again in heaven one day.
To keep busy, I always bring my crocheting on plane rides. Morgan wanted to know what I was making. I told her it was a pair of fingerless gloves. She was totally mystified. I took the first one out of my knitting bag to show her. At this point, it was just a crocheted rectangle. I wrapped it around her wrist, letting her fingers peek out the bottom and leaving a space for her thumb to stick out. Then closed up the top part. Then she understood how they would look. She asked me if I would make a pair for her. (this is what I soooo love about this age - total innocence - no self consciousness. I thought I could get the second glove finished on our long ride. But I had no way to sew up the side seam of the glove. Needles and scissors are verboten on aircraft. They were in my checked luggage. I eventually figured a way to crochet the seams together and told her that her Mama would have to cut off all the hanging strings. Across the aisle from me sat a Delta crew member flying back home and she had tiny scissors, which she offered to me to cut the strings. When the gloves were all sewed up, I asked Morgan if she would like a ruffle around the wrist edge of her glove. "What's a ruffle ?" she asked. Fortunately she had one on the little shirt she was wearing.
By now everyone around us knew about our little group because the children were anything but quiet. The crew members responsible for the children's safe flight, were thanking me for taking care of them. They offered me and the children some special meals. Jacob and I demurred but not Morgan. She had a slider plus other goodies that were in the bag.
Jacob had his little hand held computer game and played silently a lot of the time but Morgan was getting bored. She did, however think of lots of things to do with her fingerless gloves. She put them on her dollies with the ruffle at the bottom. Now the dolls look like mermaids. To keep her entertained, I gave her a small notebook and pen I had in my purse and asked her to draw some things she saw in Phoenix. She drew a saguaro cactus and gave one to the stewardess across the aisle from us and one for me. Then she drew the stewardess a pair of scissors, too. I tried to encourage them to play tic tac toe and they played one game which was a "shut out". Then boredom quickly set in again.
I consider this the best plane trip I ever and will think about and pray for those two little kidlets often.
