My Diary

Alex Azabache
I had aerophobia… if that happened to be a word. I have countless fears, actually, as a sixteen-year-old child who is always confined to the four walls of her mother's duplex. Not only that, but I preferred to be inside my room all day, eating, reading Lamb tales from Shakespeare, and surfing the internet… It was preferable to be exposed to the outside world, which, I thought, was filled with peril. I was homeschooled also and all the friends I had were from the Internet except the house helper's daughter, Marie, who visited every Saturday.

I was also an only child of my parents, who later divorced because of my mom's busy schedule and my dad's long distance. Trust me, I felt they made the right decision, and I was not bothered about their separation.

Well, my nightmare started two weeks ago, when my dad visited us in Las Vegas. I was so happy to see him alongside his son from his new wife, Kobi. He had bonded with me over the few days he had spent in my mother's crib.

He felt sad that I was often alone with the housekeeper and her daughter because my mom was a doctor and never really had time for me. Likewise, he had discussed it with my mom, and they mutually agreed that I would go with him to Mexico. A normal child who didn't enjoy much love from any of her parents would jump at the idea. I spent days worrying about how I'd travel on a plane for the very first time in my whole life. I didn't tell anyone this because this was my secret shame.

I was delighted to be with him and my amazing step-brother, but this was so huge, and each day I was preoccupied with my fear of travelling by air. Likewise, I wondered and imagined one million and one disasters that could happen on air. After this imaginative mind of mine, I concluded that I would be going with a parachute, just like the ones I had watched in movies. I have seen the way it's so scary but easy to ride on. I also had a second thought, “What if I ended up in the sea while ascending with the parachute?”.

“Daddy, don't you think we should go with a parachute just for protection?” I said, trying to be on the safer side but so naive. “My little angel, the plane has parachutes and also, it is not what people saw it to be.” My dad said, giving me the best assurance ever. I was still having full-time fear within me as it was my first time entering the plane.

“Don't worry, my little armour. The plane is the safest transportation. You won't even feel it.” My dad patted me like a five-year-old before I walked into the aeroplane. My stepbrother didn't seem bothered. I wasn't surprised because he told me he and Dad spent their holidays travelling around the world.

I planned binge-watching all my favourite film episodes and took along with me plenty of books, even though it wasn't a million-year travel by air. My mom had written me handwritten cards she felt I could read while on the plane. None of these worked. Kobi had covered my palm in his when the plane took off. He noticed how scared I was and gave me a reassuring smile. I felt a little relieved, relieved that I didn't scream when the plane was hundreds of feet away from the ground.

The world seemed so tiny from up in the sky, and for a second, I enjoyed the awe-filling view. Then that was when a voice through the speaker announced to us that the plane was finding it difficult to move because of turbulent weather… People began to panic and trust me I was worse than panicking. I started to scream among those who were also scared.

“Are we going to die?” Everyone had a strong fear on their faces as the plane seemed to lose balance. People began to pray, and I looked helplessly at Kobi and realized he was scared too. My father closed his eyes like he was expecting the worst. The voice from the speaker came through again.
“We apologize for the inconvenience, we were able to handle the situation.”

I started to cry as I hugged Kobi so tight. We got to Mexico safely. I feared all through my wonderful stay, wondering how I would fly back to Las Vegas.