Short Stories

I have a beautiful view

I have a beautiful view from my office window, a statement so few can say and justify....

The morning begins at 5:00AM the red morning sunrise bleeds through the curtain windows. A peaceful morning begins like a dream but is snatched away at a precise time, the same time, every day. The alarm clock shrieks to life screaming its ghastly tune. He slowly rises from his hazy slumber dazed and sleepy. Its at this moment his life becomes apparent, a life of procedures, check-lists, routine and stress. These though are just the beginning the rest is an exhilarating dream come true a passion from his youth. He is a commercial pilot, an elite group of aviators traversing the skies we once thought was out of reach, the stuff of dreams.

Climbing out of bed reluctantly still not adjusted to the sudden colours of the morning he showers and dresses into his uniform. This is his own symbol of achievement and pride. A symbol of tradition that spans through his family. Now fully awake he leans over the bed to kiss his love goodbye, she replies with a little laugh and smile and mumbles see you tonight darling. Walking into his study he gathers documents and flight plans he so carefully prepared the night before. Placing them neatly into his briefcase and closing it shut.

Not to long later at the airport his work has just begun, although an hour and a half before the flight there is still much work to be done. Strolling into the pilots lounge eagerly he goes in the direction of a machine full of splendour and appreciation, the coffee machine. After his trip to get his morning beverage he meets up with his first officer for today. This guy a fairly new member to the airline is still only the rank of First Officer but still regarded as a fully fledged member of the crew.

He discusses today's flight with the first officer going over all the details and appropriate fuel load. When they are ready the fun finally begins, he steps out onto the apron of the airport, his lungs are drowned with the smell of jet fuel. Now he knows the day has really begun..

Now at the parking spot of his aircraft officially known as "Echo-India-Delta-Echo-Charlie" he bards the plane and steps into the flight deck. Today's flight is a short hop from Dublin Airport to London's Heathrow Airport. The first steps of the flight begin with a a flick of a switch turning on all the instruments and lights in the flight deck and instantly the atmosphere changes. The cockpit bizzes to life with the sound of the radio, the lights shine brightly flooding the cockpit in colour and the sound of engines spooling up after the pilot presses the ignition.

Going back to his childhood days memories from the past fill him with emotion. He remembers running through the garden making his own noises, or sitting in his home made aircraft, a cardboard box a hole cut in it for a window and buttons drawn on with a marker. These his childhood dreams, a passion as a teen and now a reality. It is short lived though he must prepare for departure as the traffic controller's voice buzzes through the radio; "Shamrock two-tree-niner, cleared to taxi to the active hold short runway two-eight" time to push back says the co-pilot.

5 minutes later they are at the edge of runway 25, going through the final check list making sure everything is in place "flaps set 5? Check. Landing lights on? Check." As if on queue the tower controller comes onto the radio "Shamrock two-three-niner, cleared for take off" Now is his moment of ecstasy. He applies full throttle and send his aircraft hurtling down the runway as the engines roar into a flutter of noise. The senses all over his body tingling at the thought of his current position and then when he seems like he is about to fade back to his childhood the co-pilot calls out "rotate" signaling it is time to pull the nose of the aircraft into the air and take off.

I have a beautiful view from my office window...

The sun's rays glare through the window filling the cockpit with an orange glow as they break through the clouds, into the paradise above. This is my office window.