Those days I was living in San Francisco and commuting weekly by a 2 and 1/2 hour flight to Houston. Usually I would get a direct flight but at times there will be a stop-over. As 9/11 happened, the security at the Airports increased drastically. This particular flight had a stop-over in Las Vegas and I was travelling Sunday evening. The flight got delayed from SFO due to security check - so when I landed in Vegas, the connecting flight had already left. I went to the airline folks and requested if they could put me in another flight as I had a very important meeting next day morning. The first reaction was Man, this is Vegas, Sunday evening and you have a strong reason to explain to your Boss!, but then they realized that I was too adamant for attending the meeting. So they asked me to hang around just in case some arrangement could be made. After about an hour, a lady came and told me that there is a 777 flight that needs to go to Houston that night. But I would be the only passenger. Only passenger! In a 777! Who could have thought that? I had a brief chat with the Pilot before boarding (and containing all my excitement) - a wonderful and cheerful person. He told me that he was very happy that he and his airline could help me. And what followed next was the stuff of my dreams - and any day better than spending a night at The Mirage or Stratosphere or Caesars Palace. (The Vegas Strip looks awesome though when the flight takes off!) First I heard a personal greeting in the flight - Hi Raj! Welcome Aboard! Please fasten your seat belts! The air-hostesses were competing for providing me with Coffee, Orange Juice, Sandwich. They asked me what movie I would like to watch but then I had to prepare for my meeting next morning. As the flight was cruising, I heard another personal message Hello Raj! We are cruising at an altitude of 35,000 ft. Hope you are enjoying the flight and the service! All by myself, in a 777. Enjoying? All I could think of during those 3 hours was for a boy who went to a school near the Airport in Kolkata and who would see those birds take-off and land from the window, who would fill all note books drawing pictures of aeroplanes, who would collect picture post cards of aeroplanes and who at one time badly wanted to work for Indian Airlines or Air India (because he thought that was a sure shot way of ensuring travel by plane for the rest of the life), this was a dream come true. Even saying a dream come true would be an understatement. Now why I am narrating this event, one of the most memorable of my life, today? Because today is another anniversary of 9/11. And this is my way of paying tribute to the common American, the Pilot, the Air Hostesses, the Ground Staff, my Office Colleagues, every American I interacted with during those difficult times - their resilience, their tolerance, their patience and their support. I am fortunate to know them and have some of them as my friends.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 13:16:03 +0000
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