Airplane Adventure

The airplane left the runway flying towards Kuwait. I was squeezed in the coach class seat and it was a full flight. I tried to make the time pass by looking at the landscape from the airplane window. I picked up the in-flight magazine and skimmed through the glossy pages. I took the flimsy headset, tore off the plastic protective covering and started flipping through the channels, not watching anything but watching everything on the tiny screen.
Thirty minutes into the flight, I could not feel my legs but that was alright, they where bent under the seat in front of me in such a way, a circus contortionist would be proud.

The speakers announced that we are approaching Kuwait and the “fasten your seatbelts” sign lit. I did not need to do anything; my seatbelt was fastened throughout the flight.

Babies started crying as the changed air pressure starting popping their sensitive ears. It was a constant whine with little gaps of silence. Above the babies’ cries and the increased jet engine’s thrust I could hear a man arguing loudly. He had a Bedouin accent and he was shouting that he will not quiet down to an unknown person. The man was sitting in the first row of coach class just before the curtain that separates the proletariat from the bourgeoisie. The man was in his mid thirties and was dressed in the traditional dishdasha and red ghutra. His complaints and voice got louder, his arms flailing, and his complaints punctuated by obscenities.

The troublemaker stood up, and stood in the passage between the seats looking around with dark bug eyes addressing no one in particular. He continued with his stream of obscenities. He moved towards the toilet cabinets and tried to open them but the doors where locked. The man unhooked one of the hidden wall cabinets and looked inside, maybe thinking it was one the toilets. As the airplane pitched down to land at Kuwait Airport, the movements of the plane made him sit down and all was quiet.

The airplane hit the runway smoothly and as the airplane was taxiing towards the airport entrance bridge, the announcer spoke. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have landed safely in Kuwait; please remain seated until the airplane reaches a complete stop. Also we have a minor security issue and will inform you when you can leave the airplane”.

The airplane stopped shortly after. The troublemaker jumped out of his seat and dashed towards the business class area. Slowly the passengers rose, took their belongings from the overhead compartments and walked towards the exit with their numb legs. As I walked through business class, I could see the troublemaker in handcuffs sitting near the window with a huge Kuwaiti airport policeman sitting right next to him.
I thought to myself, tonight he will enjoy Kuwaiti hospitality as he sleeps on a hard concrete floor and eats lentil soup courtesy of the local jail.