Chapter 4:
April Simmons, her parents and her younger brother were waiting anxiously at the airport, for the plane to arrive. The twenty-first of September had arrived.
April's mother was ranting on about how proud she was that her daughter was becoming a Titan, and that how she knew April's skills would get her somewhere in life. Her mother was also ranting about how it would be hard the first couple of weeks.
April was not listening to anything her mother, or anyone else, as a matter of fact, was saying. April was too excited, too nervous. She was hugging a backpack to her chest and sitting on one of the two suitcases filled with "necessary" items.
The sound of a jet engine made April look up from the rock she was studying.
A small twin-engine jet plane taxied down runway number nine, up to the gate. There was an image of a "T-shaped tower", and on the tail of the plane, two T's were painted diagonal from one another: one red, one black.
The door to the jet slid open and a small staircase unfolded outward from the doorway.
"I guess it's time to go," April said after a minute, gathering the suitcase she was sitting on a moment ago.
April's father took the other.
"Now don't forget to write and send a postcard!" April's mom said to her while April was suffering one of her mom's monstrous bear hugs.
"Mom...I am working in Jump City, not going on vacation there. Now, can you please LET GO! You're crushing me!" April said.
April's mom looked down at her daughter. "Oh, sorry...Now remember what I said."
April sighed. "Call on occasion, visits or visit on Christmas, Easter and Birthdays, and most important: no boys," April said with a roll of her blue eyes.
"Right."
"But...please, do I have to live with 'boy' rule? I'm old enough for a boyfriend," April complained.
"Yes," April heard her father say.
April's mother leaned in to whisper something in her daughter's ear. "Find a cute one," her mother said.
April giggled. "Thanks mom," April said being the one to give the hug this time. April walked over to her brother. She squatted down, hugged him and ruffled his light-brown hair.
"Bye, Ape," he snorted. "Bring back bamboo."
"Those are pandas, genius," April said with a smile. She moved over to her father.
"Bye kiddo. Have fun...but not with boys," April's father warned.
April exchanged a glance with her mother, who covered her mouth to stiffle a laugh.
April climbed the stairs and waved to her family. When she was inside the plane, the door closed. April took a look around. There were twelve seats in six rows of two. Three sets on each side of the plane. There was a large, plasma screen television towards the front, a soda machine, and a snack counter.
"I could get used to living like this," April said grabbing a Diet Coke, an apple and one of the TV listing guides, and sitting down in a seat near the window.
The engines fired up and the plane lurched forward as it started to move. Then it stopped. Traffic.
"Damn," April muttered taking a glance out of the window, noticing three, much larger jet planes ahead of them. April assumed they were seven-forty-sevens. April looked in the opposite direction and saw her family still standing there, watching the plane.
Then something occurred to April. That might be the last time she would ever see her family. She could be killed in combat...or the plane could crash...or... The whole thought filled her with fear. Tears came to her eyes. She was leaving her family.
Something else drove the thoughts from her head.
The airplane had begun to vibrate and she knew something was about to happen. And it did. The plane did not taxi down the runway like all of the other planes, it lifted up into the air and shot forward so fast, April was pressed back into her seat. The plane flew over all of the other planes that were waiting for their turn.
"At least I don't have to worry that much about air traffic," April muttered popping open her can of soda and turning on the massage option on her arm chair.
"Now this is first-class flying," she said turning on the television and browsing through the list of "on demand" movies. April selected "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock. She hit the PLAY button.
April sat back and waited anxiously for the plane ride to end.
I think that this song is definitely one of the perfect, if not, the perfect song for this chapter...tell me what you think.
"In the early mornin' rain
With a dollar in my hand
And an aching in my heart,
And my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home,
And I miss my loved one so
In the early mornin' rain
With no place to go.
Out on runway number nine,
Big seven-o-seven set to go
But I'm out here on the grass
Where the pavement never grows
Well the liquor tasted good
And the women all were fast
There she goes my friend,
She's rollin' down at last.
Hear the mighty engine roar,
See the silver wing on high
She's away and westward bound
Far above the clouds she'll fly
Where the mornin' rain don't
fall
And the sun always shines
She'll be flyin' o're my home
In about three hours time.
This old airport's got me down,
It's no earthly good to me
Cause I'm stuck here on the
ground,
Cold and drunk, as I might be.
Can't jump a jet
plane...
Like you can a freight train
So I'd best be on my way
In the early mornin' rain.
So I'd best be on my way
In the early mornin' rain."
-Peter, Paul, and Mary "Early Mornin' Rain"