High Rides

The title of the blog today may appear like a conundrum. Coz  'a joy ride' is the typical collocation. Well, the soubriquet of the blog today may appear further baffling because it does not describe any ride, rather a flight or two.

Aai did enjoy a few flights. Once she had even flown all alone to Hyderabad. At both ends of the flight, we were there to see her off or to receive her. The flight to Riviere also was not too much of a problem. Within a month, Sanju completed all the formalities to take her along with him to the U.S. on a tourist visa. As Sanju, Sushama and Kunal were there with her, the flight was not much of a bother for her. The only regret she had was that due to the exertion after Papa's sad demise, Raju fell ill just before she left.

The flight back to India, however, was a tough proposition. In detail has she described it in her diary. She was to fly back all alone. Kunal's hearty cry over it both soothed her and unhinged her. It made her realise anew her little grandson's love, care and concern for her. It also intensified the sense of separation from him and the fact that she was to fly back alone. 

Boarding was not a problem as apparently somebody from the TCS happened to be on the flight. The guy was rather courteous on the flight, too, it seems. When it was landing time, the young chap was off the plane in a jiffy, while Aai took time given the narrow steps, and the rickety ladder. How to reach the airport from the tarmac was another problem. It is quite some distance that way. The authorities kept on insisting that the boarding pass should have been stamped for a wheel-chair at Boston itself. At last, an air hostess helped her, it seems, and the ordeal was over. The young chappie was at the baggage conveyer belt, and helped her get her get her luggage off the belt. The high point was Raju waiting for her at the terminus. Hence the high (on emotions) ride!

Yet another flight she found remarkable was the flight past the Mount Everest. It was a very small plane. But she got the window seat, and luckily it was not at all cloudy. So both ways, to-n-fro, she could get an eye full of the highest peak on the earth, the dazzling Mt. Everest. She treasured the certificate issued for this feat.

Her flights, in brief, were for her high flying joy rides in their own way. Let us hence round off the blog today with `The Airplane Song' by Blippi because the stanza captures perfectly the feel of this blog about Aai's sky-high sentiments:

Airplanes, Airplanes

Flying all around the sky

Airplanes, airplanes

Flying way up high!

pratima@ fancy flights!