Chapter 7 – Turbulence
A voice could be heard over the air of the flight intercom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.”
“The flight is currently going through a storm…”
“err, it will be bumpy ride as we fly through this massive formation of storm clouds…”
“err, it is not possible for us to steer through it.”
“The seatbelts indicator has been switched on. Please buckle up and remain at your respective seat until we get through this.”
The Malaysian Airlines stweardess dressed in her uniform of green kebaya, started walking down the aisle of an Airbus A340-600 to have a final glance on those who have yet to fasten their seatbelts. Shun Yee was still fast asleep. The air stewardess woke her up and she immediately did as she was told.
It was a dead silence from the cabin of the flight. Flight attendants are all strapped up in their jump seats in the galley of the plane and only the Rolls Royce engine of the A340 was screaming, soaring through the cumulonimbus clouds over the Java Sea, muffled by the fuselage of the plane.
Shun Yee was peeking out of the window, and the next thing she felt, was a bunch of butterflies in her stomach. Passengers’ screams were heard, and magazines that was once on the hands of the lady sitting beside her is now pressed against the ceiling of the aircraft.
Holding tight to the seats with her belly pressed against the nylon seatbelts, Shun Yee closed her eyes.
The A340 took a plunge of 1000 feet. Next thing they know was that the plane was banking to the right at a steep degree. The passengers in the cabin started to talk.
“I’m starting to feel a little headache.”
“Oh my God, are we going to crash?”
Shun Yee held her seats even tighter while squeezing her eyelids so hard together that a tear from her left eye came out. A dim cabin light was switched on and the oxygen mask on the top of the seats popped out and fell in front of the passengers.
Shun Yee felt her head was heavy, her ears could hear a hum that was caused by the sudden change of air pressure. The intercom went on air.
“This is your captain speaking. Err… one of our engines on the right wing is dead due to some complications in the storm clouds.”
“Don’t worry, we have three engines left to bring us to the nearest airport for emergency landing.”
“The oxygen masks will help you to breath as the air pressure in the cabin will be lower than usual”
“Emergency landing in Bandung International Airport, ETA 1405, about 5 minutes from now.”
Shun Yee quickly grabbed the oxygen mask, puts it over her mouth and nose like a dog muffler, and strapped it over her head. Sitting still with the seats straight up, tightening her seatbelts, and squeezing her handrests. She closed her eyes. Only one picture came to her mind.
Jack.
—
“What?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Jack was ecstatic and his smile was from ear to ear. He started thinking what he could do for his good friend, his ‘brother’. But he suddenly realised something. Since Eng Tat told him that he’s getting married, he wasn’t smiling.
“Why are you not excited bro?”
“She’s pregnant”
An awkward silence filled the air. Standing motionless, Jack looked at Eng Tat with a sign of disbelief. Eng Tat set his eyes at a distance point, and took in a deep breath.
“The baby’s not mine”
Jack felt that his knees are giving way when he heard this. He threw his hand over the shoulders of Eng Tat, carried his luggage with another, walking into the living room.
“Bro, we have a lot to catch up.”
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