Done Adulting Vol. 2 Ch. 8

“Anyone with a child, little, or who needs extra time is welcome to board at this time,” the gate agent said into her microphone as the passengers milled about. This was Jamie’s first ride on anything that flew since his trip to the dimension, and he’d been unconscious for that, his first ride on anything that flew.

He was excited and had barely sat still on the ride to the airport, and it occurred to him that this, too, was a change brought about by becoming a little, this excitement – pleasure – in the mundane and the new whereas before he’d have treated this like an ordinary, albeit new, experience. It wasn’t just that he was allowed to be excited; it was that he allowed himself to be excited and to express it. Or at least he felt that way until he looked out onto the tarmac and saw the plane. It wasn’t like any plane he’d ever seen before, to say nothing of its size. It was hard to imagine how it could fly.

“That’s us, Jamie,” Manda said as she took his hand and walked toward the jetway. Becky went in front of them with the stroller, and when they reached the door, she collapsed it and left it for the baggage handlers to stow under the plane. They boarded and found their seats, where Becky and Amanda put their carry-ons above them and stashed Jamie’s under the seat so he could get to his things easily.

“You have the middle, Jamie,” Becky said. The seats were large, and Manda went in first so Becky could lift Jamie up and hand him over. They took up the row. Two other families were situating themselves similarly.

“When do we get peanuts,” Jamie cheekily asked. He liked asking silly questions to get reaction from his bigs. He wondered how many times he could ask if they were there yet before they got cross, or, more likely, “offered” Jamie his pacifier.

“When we’re in the air.”

“I don’t know why everyone complains about airplane seats,” he joked, “I’ve got plenty of room.” His feet didn’t touch the floor, and from the center of the seat his elbows didn’t touch the armrests.

“Easy for you to say,” Becky responded. “You’re just a bitty little thing.”

“I hope Kazoo is okay with Amy,” he added. Kazoo had been moping around as soon as he saw the suitcases come out. Manda had to put him out of her room while she packed, as every time she turned around, he’d taken something back out of her bag.

“He likes Amy,” Manda reminded him. “And I think she’ll probably move in for the week instead of going back and forth. She was pretty excited to have a whole house to herself.”

Jamie watched all the people boarding and looking harried. He was glad they were going on vacation – not that his life wasn’t an extended vacation now – and that they’d boarded first. People were eyeing the overhead space like it was a precious resource.

“What was that,” Jamie said when the plane lurched.

“They probably took the blocks away from the wheels,” Becky explained. “You’re sure you’re not scared?” They’d talked about flying at length, and Jamie had assured them he’d be fine.

“I’m sure … What was that!?!”

“Those are just the engines turning on.”

“O.”

A man stopped in front of their row and seemed to shove Becky’s and Manda’s carry-ons over some to get his bag in. He looked down and shook his head, and as he sat in the seat behind Manda he grumbled, “Just great. Probably gonna cry the whole time.”

Jamie looked at Becky and then Manda. “Ya hear that, Manda? He thinks you’re gonna cry the whole time.”

“Ha,” Becky honked. The flight attendant took her position near the front of the cabin and pantomimed the safety instructions as they played on the screens that came down from the ceiling. They pushed back from the gate. Looking out the window, it seemed to Jamie at first that the jetway was moving instead of the plane, and it took a moment for his brain to make the correction.

“On our way,” Becky said. Jamie didn’t like this feeling, moving without seeing where he was going.

“What happens next?”

“The pilot will drive us over to one of the runways, and then we’ll take off.”

“We’re not on the runway already?”

“No, we’re on the tarmac.”

“Ladies and gentleman,” the pilot said as he came on over the speakers, “we’re uh … third in line for takeoff right now … uhhhh we’re looking at about a three-hour flight to San Indica today … uhhhh winds out of the north-northwest at about 30 kilometers per hour uhhhh … temperature on the ground when we land should be comfortable … uhhhh going to pass through a storm front and could get bumpy if you could please keep your seatbelts fastened when you’re in your seats uhhhhh … we’ll try to get you beverage service once we reach cruising altitude as the weather permits. Just sit back and enjoy your flight, and thanks for flying with us today.” The seatbelt sign bonged as the light came on.

Manda put her arm on the armrest palm up, and Jamie took her hand as they started down the runway. She smiled at him, then sat back and closed her eyes. Jamie looked past her and out the window as best he could. Faster and faster down the runway, Jamie watched the yellow lines whiz by until they were a continuous streak and then felt himself slowly rising as he watched the ground fall away. He sat back.

“That was fun,” he said. They kept climbing, and the plane banked to the left in a wide, angled arc. Jamie felt his stomach wanting to stay behind. “That wasn’t fun,” he said when they’d leveled off.

“You’re okay,” Becky reassured him.

“I know … I know.” Jamie wanted to be brave. He looked around at what he could see, and he still didn’t like that he couldn’t see where he was going.

“Why don’t you just close your eyes, Baby Bear.” He leaned against the side of the chair where Manda was and closed his eyes. Becky reached under his seat and got his bag, took his jacket out of it, and laid it over him.

The bong of the seatbelt sign woke him up an hour later. Becky was asleep. Manda was looking out the window where lightning was illuminating the dark clouds all around them and rain was hitting the glass in streaks. KARUMP! The plane shook.

“What was that!” he asked.

“Just turbulence.” KARUMP!

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the captain said over the speaker, “we’re just about to move into this storm front … uhhhh the seatbelt sign is turned on, and I’m gonna ask everyone including the flight attendants to please return to your seats …uhhhh we’ll get you through this as smoothly as we can. Thanks for your cooperation.”

“What does that mean,” Jamie asked. It didn’t sound good or fun. Vacations are supposed to be fun and good.

“It’s just gonna get a little bumpy.” Manda looked at him looking straight ahead at the chair in front of him, then glanced out the window and drew the shade, hoping he’d be more calm if he couldn’t see the storm. “You okay?”

“Fine … Just, uh, don’t feel so good.” He was a little nauseated and he needed to relieve himself, too.

“It’ll be fine. Promise.”

“I know … I need to go to the bathroom,” he whispered. Manda looked at her mom, who was still asleep.

“We can’t get up to change you until the pilot says it’s okay.”

“O. Okay. I can wait,” Jamie replied nervously.

KARUMP! Jamie’s stomach lurched toward his mouth that time, and he felt his weight rise ever so much off the seat. Manda tightened her seat belt and then his. Jamie grabbed each armrest in his hands.

You can hold it. You’re a grown man. Even if you are a little, Jamie was telling himself in his head. KARUMP! Ugh. You never get motion sick. You’ve also never been on a plane before. KARUMP! Ope! Hold it! Hold it! KARUMP! Fuck! KARUMP!!! O no … no no no. O c’mon, you can hold it …eeeee … hold … Crap … And double crap … Ew. Well, that’s embarrassing.

Manda was watching him out the corner of her eye and recognized his body language and knew it was about that time of day for him. She didn’t say anything or look at him to spare him any shame. It had been a long time since they’d talked about it, but she figured diapers stopped being an optional part of his life some time ago, and while Jamie could usually hold it, his control wasn’t as reliable as it once was. Manda thought it had something to do with the long-term effects of nursing. “Jamie? Buddy,” she said when he slumped forward.

“I don’t feel good,” he whined. He wanted his diaper changed, and he wanted to be back on the ground. His face looked flush and he was sweating.

“I thought you said you didn’t get motion sickness,” Manda said as she rubbed his back.

“I guess I do.” Amanda reached into the seat pocket and got out an air sickness bag.

“Mom,” Amanda said as she nudged Becky, “Mom?”

“Hmm,” Becky said as she came to.

“Can you hand me Jamie’s bag?” She couldn’t reach it.

“Hmm?” Becky then saw Jamie and knew knew right away he was nauseated by the way he was bent at the waist and looking a little green. “O! Baby, I’m sorry.” She reached down to get his bag. She couldn’t see into it in the darkened plane and reached up to turn the overhead light on, then searched around until she found the small bag of over-the-counter medicine she’d brought just in case. “Here,” she said to Jamie as she took a bottle out of the side pocket. “Drink this.” Jamie took the bottle from her without looking up. He felt better when he looked at the floor.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Manda said, “We got some medicine for you.” Becky took out the motion sickness medicine and got one pill out, looked at Jamie, and got a second.

“Open,” she said, and Jamie turned and opened his mouth. She put the two pills on his tongue, and he swallowed them with a swig from his bottle. The fast-acting, uncoated pills started to dissolve before they were out of his mouth.

“Blech,” Jamie said.

“I got some crackers for you, too,” Becky said as she rummaged around. She considered changing him on the seat, but the plane was shaking and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to in the small space without making a mess, and besides, it would be awfully rude to everyone around them. Still, she wanted to make him feel better. But he’d just have to wait. The pills were already making Jamie sleepy.

She found the crackers and took them out, put the medicine away, and then put the bag back under the seat. She reached for the latch on his tray table. KARUMP!!! The plane jumped upward and the tray came down to hit Jamie on top of his head.

“Hhhh,” Becky and Manda both gasped. “I’m so sorry!” It didn’t hurt that much, but it did push Jamie’s emotions over the edge, and he began to weep gently. “O, Baby Bear, Mama is so sorry,” Becky said as she checked the top of his head to make sure there was nothing more than a bump.

Ignoring the seatbelt sign, Becky unbuckled Jamie and put him onto her lap, holding him extra tight. He put his face into her breast and let his arms hang loose at his sides. “Shhh,” she cooed. Manda reached over and squeezed Jamie’s shoulder.

This sucks and I hate flying and my head hurts and I got a load in my pants and my tummy’s all blah and I wanna go home, Jamie whined in his head.

“Momma’s sorry,” Becky cooed again as she tried to rock him gently. She kept at it until the medicine made him fall asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she let him sleep until it was time to get off the plane. He woke up groggily on the jet bridge as Becky got him into the stroller.

“Hey, baby,” Becky said when she saw his eyes flutter open as she was buckling him in. “How do you feel?”

“Hmmph. Can we walk home? Can that be what we do with the rest of our summer?”

“I’m sorry. I promise you it’s not always like that.” The trio headed for baggage claim.

“And we’re on an island,” Manda reminded him, “and we can’t swim as good as you.”

“Let’s find a place to get you cleaned up,” Becky said.

“God, yes. Please.”

“And at least you didn’t throw up,” Amanda added.

“Small mercies.”

The trip could only get better from there.