The People On The Plane

✈ 3: The People on the Plane

3: The People on the Plane

Flight 385, Amsterdam Airport Schipol, Amsterdam, Netherlands

22, December 2014. 1:43 PM

Fortunately, it seems that luck is on Aspen’s side for this matter.

She isn’t seated next to the man but she can see him in her peripheral vision in front of her. But she is seated beside the excited girl she had seen in the lounge, whose name is apparently Carla.

“You seem really ecstatic about going to New York,” she’d told Carla a few minutes into the planes take-off.

Carla laughed jovially. It sounded light and just right for her; almost fairy-like which matched her tiny stature. “I am ecstatic,” she’d replied. Her voice was still tinged with that laugh and it weakened the accent in her speech. “I am going to see my brother for Christmas.”

Aspen felt herself slipping back to the day her brother died but she shook her head out of it. She managed a tight, weak smile, already threatening to slip away and betray her emotions and wordlessly turned to stare out the window.

Now, the awkwardness is long gone and they are discussing meeting up later over plates of steaming delicious fettuccini. Aspen thinks she’s found a good friend and maybe even another reason to go back to Amsterdam. Aspen likes Carla, too, like she likes the fettuccini, like she like the other advantages of Amsterdam.

Carla’s brother, Peter, attends Julliard [in his third year] and Carla is visiting to see him open in his first play in Broadway. Aspen can feel herself catching the excitement, contagious as a cold. And maybe it’s the Christmas spirit, maybe it’s Carla’s constant excitement and maybe it’s the two champagnes Aspen has had so far but Aspen Klaremonte is happy. Truly, undeniably happy.

“...and so, after two months of pranks, the lead guy quit and Peter took the role by default,” Carla finishes a lengthy explanation of how Peter got the lead in the play, which is a Broadway adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life.  “And it seems like they like Peter because he hasn’t faced the wrath of any pranks.”

“Well, the first guy did sound really snobby,” Aspen says while stabbing her plate absentmindedly. “So, I wouldn’t blame them.”

Carla laughs again and Aspen laughs with her. She doesn’t really understand why she’s laughing but it’s always been that way because it feels to her that if you laugh along, you just become happier, basking in the joy that echoes around you. So they both laugh. And soon, they’re laughing so hard their eyes tear up and the flight attendant comes to shush them fiercely.

They apologize, still struggling to keep quiet, and the attendant leaves but not before she gives them a last warning glare. Carla turns to Aspen, her expression a little confused.

“Do you realize that we were laughing about nothing?”

Aspen shrugs.

“Oh, so now you’re an emotionless crab?”

“Why crab?”

“They’re so... stiff! And they don’t even have proper faces!”

“Well, you have a point right there.”

“Of course I do, emotionless crab.”

“I am not!”

“Are you sure you’re older than me?”

So, Aspen recomposes herself and starts eating primly, pretending to be angry at the nineteen-year-old beside her. But Carla seems to see right through her and only smirks, shaking her head almost piteously.

“Have you ever eaten a crab?”

“We are not going back to that, Carla.”

“I’m asking a genuine question here!”

“And I don’t believe you.”

“Just answer the damn question!”

“Calm down, woman.” But she doesn’t answer the question yet, enjoying Carla’s infuriation.

“For the love of crabs, answer it!”

“Fine!” Aspen pauses to let out a chuckle at Carla’s temperamental anger. “I haven’t had crab before. Happy?”

Carla lets out a breath of relief and wipes the seemingly imaginary sweat on her forehead. “Good! I thought I was the only one.”

“Why haven’t you ever had crab?”

“Because they’re emotionless and well, very unappealing.”

“Well, how about this?”

“How about what?”

“When we meet up in New York, we’ll have crabs. We can go catch them by the Long Island Sound and then cook them at my apartment and hopefully, hopefully not destroy it.”

“Hopefully, we won’t.” Carla ponders over the suggestion then slowly nods. “I guess I have to get over my sort-of phobia someday.”

“So let’s shake on it.” Aspen holds out her hand for Carla to shake. Carla smiles and grabs her outstretched her, obliging to her request.

Hey there! We have another one! And thank you all for getting me even higher up in the charts so so much!

Also, this is dedicated to Ivey because her birthday is today and she is a gigantic bottle of awesomesauce

- Tasneem